University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Temple
11/07/2026 | Men's Basketball
RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond men's basketball will take its unbeaten start on the road Sunday when the Spiders face former Atlantic 10 rival Temple at The Palestra in Philadelphia.
Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. on ESPN2. Richmond enters the game 2-0, while Temple is 1-0. Sunday will mark the 22nd meeting between the programs and the first since Richmond defeated the Owls 61-49 at the 2022 Empire Classic in Brooklyn.
The matchup begins a five-game stretch away from home for the Spiders, their first run of five consecutive games away from the Robins Center during the regular season since November-December 2011.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Tipoff: 5 p.m.
Location: The Palestra | Philadelphia, Pa.
TV: ESPN2 — Mike Corey (play-by-play) and Tim Welsh (analyst)
Radio: ESPN Richmond — Bob Black (play-by-play) and Scott Ungerer (analyst)
BACK-TO-BACK 100s
Richmond followed its 100-77 season-opening win over UNC Asheville with a 107-46 victory over Southern Virginia Thursday at the Robins Center.
The 61-point margin against Southern Virginia was Richmond's largest since 1979 and tied for the fifth-largest victory in program history. The Spiders shot 61.1% from the field and recorded 23 assists against just nine turnovers while holding the Knights to 30.8% shooting.
Richmond has now scored at least 100 points in consecutive games for the first time since December 1979. Through two games, the Spiders are averaging 103.5 points, shooting 60.2% from the field and 52.1% from 3-point range, with 51 assists on 80 made field goals.
The Spiders have also been disruptive defensively, forcing 43 turnovers through their first two games. Richmond recorded 18 steals Thursday, its most in a game during Chris Mooney's tenure and two shy of the program record.
SARAN SETTING THE TABLE
Senior guard Derin Saran has quickly established himself as Richmond's primary facilitator.
After no Spider recorded more than six assists in a game last season, Saran has reached seven in each of Richmond's first two games. He enters Sunday with 15 assists against just two turnovers, including eight assists against UNC Asheville and seven against Southern Virginia.
Saran is the first Spider since Jacob Gilyard in 2019 to record multiple November games with at least seven assists in the same season. He added a career-high five steals Thursday as part of Richmond's record-setting defensive effort.
STEWART LEADS BALANCED ATTACK
Junior guard Dominick Stewart leads Richmond in scoring at 23.0 points per game while shooting 80% from the field through his first two games as a Spider.
Stewart opened the season with a career-high 29 points against UNC Asheville, then scored 17 in just over 20 minutes against Southern Virginia. He is 16-for-20 from the field, 5-for-7 from 3-point range and 9-for-10 at the free throw line this season.
Jamie Kaiser Jr. is averaging 15.5 points while shooting 63.6% from beyond the arc, and Andrew Ball has scored in double figures in both games while shooting 75% from the field.
RENEWING AN OLD A10 RIVALRY
Richmond and Temple share considerable history from their time together in the Atlantic 10. The programs were conference rivals for 12 seasons from 2001-02 through 2012-13 and met for the A-10 Championship in 2010, when Temple defeated Richmond 56-52.
Temple holds an 11-10 advantage in the all-time series, which dates to 1955. Richmond is 5-6 against the Owls during Mooney's tenure and won the most recent meeting, holding Temple to 49 points in a 12-point victory at the 2022 Empire Classic.
Sunday will also give Richmond an opportunity to continue its recent success against teams from the American Conference. The Spiders defeated both Charlotte, 71-66, and East Carolina, 87-72, last season and are seeking a third consecutive win against an American opponent.
ROAD STRETCH STARTS SUNDAY
The Temple game begins a demanding stretch in which Richmond will play five straight games away from the Robins Center.
Following Sunday's game, the Spiders will visit Southern Illinois Thursday and Virginia Tech on Nov. 16 before traveling to White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., for games against Western Kentucky and Liberty at the GoMart Greenbrier Tip-Off. Richmond will not return home until Nov. 25 against Bethune-Cookman.
A victory Sunday would give Richmond a 3-0 start for the second consecutive season and the sixth time during Mooney's tenure. It would also even the all-time series with Temple at 11-11 and give the Spiders their first victory away from the Robins Center since Jan. 7 at St. Bonaventure.
