January 25, 2009 | AP Press

ST. LOUIS, MO – Justin Harper had 19 points and eight rebounds and Richmond overcame poor second-half shooting to end Saint Louis’ nine-game home winning streak with a 70-62 victory on Sunday.

David Gonzalvez added 15 points and hit four free throws in the final 36 seconds for Richmond (11-8, 3-1 Atlantic 10). The Spiders built an 11-point halftime lead on 60.9 percent shooting, including a 6-for-8 start from 3-point range, and survived shooting only 33 percent in the second half.

Kevin Lisch scored 18 points and Tommie Liddell III had 13 points and nine rebounds for Saint Louis (11-8, 2-3), which entered 10-1 at the new Chaifetz Arena with the lone loss in overtime against Kent State in November. Saint Louis cut the deficit to four points in the final minute.

Billikens freshman point guard Kwamain Mitchell missed the game three days after sustaining a concussion in a collision with teammate Paul Eckerle in the second half of a loss at Temple. Eckerle, who got his second career start in place of Mitchell, scored three points.

Richmond was 6-for-8 from 3-point range to start the game, including two from long range in a 12-1 run from a tie score to a 30-19 lead with about three minutes to go in the half. The Spiders shot 60.9 percent overall taking a 34-23 lead into the break, with five players hitting at least one 3-pointer.

The Spiders finished with eight 3-pointers, most against Saint Louis this season, but made only two of their last 10. Three players, including Harper, finished with four fouls. Francis-Cedric Martel added a career-best 14 points and seven rebounds.

Lisch had a strong game for Saint Louis after being held scoreless on 0-for-10 shooting in a 65-40 loss at Temple on Thursday.

From the Atlantic 10 Website:

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Justin Harper – Richmond
Sophomore, Forward, 6-9, 210 lbs.
Richmond, Va./Meadowbrook HS
Harper scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds on Jan. 21 as Richmond earned a 78-75 win over Rhode Island in its lone contest of the week…made 10-of-15 field goal attempts, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc…added a pair of blocks.

Ahmad Nivins – Saint Joseph’s
Senior, Forward, 6-9, 235 lbs.
Jersey City, N.J./St. Anthony’s HS
Nivins earns his fifth A-10 Player of the Week award after leading the Hawks to three victories while averaging 26.3 points and 14.3 rebounds…shot 25-of-34 from the field and 29-of-33 from the line…scored a career-high 34 points and pulled down 16 boards as Saint Joseph’s edged Duquesne in overtime on Jan. 21, 99-98…has registered five consecutive double-doubles…his five A-10 honors are tied with Mardy Collins (Temple – 2005) for the fourth-highest single-season total in league history.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Kenny Frease – Xavier
Freshman, Center, 7-0, 265 lbs.
Massillion, Ohio/Perry HS
Frease scored 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting in just 16 minutes of action on Jan. 24 as Xavier’s earned an 80-70 victory at LSU…in three wins, Frease averaged 8.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 42 total minutes…made 12-of-17 shots from the field.

January 21, 2009 | AP Press

RICHMOND, VA — Francis-Cedric Martel’s short jumper gave Richmond a 77-75 lead with 16.3 seconds left, and the Spiders held on to edge Rhode Island 78-75 on Wednesday night.

Following Martel’s basket, the Rams (12-7, 1-3 Atlantic 10 Conference) had a turnover on a bad pass from Marquis Jones to Jimmy Baron. Kevin Anderson hit 1 of 2 free throws with 0.7 seconds left to seal the win for the Spiders (10-8, 2-1).

Justin Harper led the Spiders with a career-high 28 points. His only assist of the game set up Martel for the game-winner. Anderson and David Gonzalves added 15 points each, and Jarhon Giddings had 10 for the Spiders, who shot 56.4 percent from the floor (31 of 55).

Kahiem Seawright led the Rams with 18 points. Ben Eaves had 11 and Jones added 10. Baron was held below double figures for the first time this year with nine points.

January 17, 2009 | AP Press

RICHMOND, VA — Maurice Thomas led the Bonnies with a career-high 25 points and St. Bonaventure rallied to beat Richmond 71-67 on Saturday night.

Thomas also had 11 rebounds for the Bonnies (11-6, 2-2 Atlantic 10 Conference). Jonathan Hall scored 15 points, Chris Matthews had 13 and Andrew Nicholson added 12 in the win.

Richmond (9-8, 1-1) led 67-60 following Kevin Anderson’s three-pointer with 2:54 left. But St. Bonaventure went on an 11-0 run to end the game, taking a 69-67 lead on Jonathan Hall’s three-point play with 23.6 seconds left. Chris Matthews got a steal and pair of free throws with 3 seconds remaining.

Anderson led the Spiders with 15 points. Ryan Butler added 14, while Francis Cedric Martel and Justin Harper had 13 apiece.

January 14, 2009 | AP Press

BLACKSBURG, VA — Jeff Allen had a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds and Virginia Tech’s defense held the Richmond Spiders to their lowest scoring output of the season en route to a 62-48 non-conference win Wednesday night at Cassell Coliseum.

Tech also got a game-high 12 points from Malcolm Delaney. With the victory, the Hokies moved to 11-5 overall on the season, winning for the sixth time in their past seven games.

Richmond fell to 9-7 on the season, losing for just the second time in six games. Kevin Anderson led the Spiders with 11 points.

The Hokies used a 15-0 run midway through the first half to take a 24-6 lead with just under seven minutes remaining and never looked back. Richmond missed its first seven shots from the floor and 19 of their first 21. The Spiders trailed by as many as 22 in the first half and by 20 at halftime.

January 10, 2009 | AP Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Justin Harper scored 14 of his 19 points in the first half to lead Richmond to a 60-48 victory over George Washington on Saturday night.

David Gonzalvez added 13 points for the Spiders (9-6, 1-0 Atlantic 10), who had only seven turnovers and broke a six-game losing streak to George Washington.

The Colonials (6-7, 0-1), who trailed 37-14 early in the second half, lost their fifth straight game.

George Washington cut the lead to 56-48 on Noel Wilmore’s 3-pointer with 39.3 seconds left in the game.

But Richmond’s Kevin Anderson, who scored 12 points, was intentionally fouled by Damian Hollis with 36.8 to go, and made two free throws for a 58-48 lead.

Anderson hit two more free throws to make it 60-48 with 30 seconds to play.

Wynton Witherspoon had 15 points for George Washington and Rob Diggs added 10 points and seven rebounds.

January 3, 2008 | AP Press

RICHMOND, VA — David Gonzalves scored 20 points and Richmond routed Rice 74-43 on Saturday.

The Spiders (8-6) scored 16 straight points midway through the first half to take a 29-11 lead. Francis-Cedric Martel started the spurt with a 3-pointer followed by a layup and Justin Harper capped the run with another 3.

During the more than five-minute span, the Owls (5-9) missed twice from the field and had six turnovers.

The Spiders scored 21 points off 13 Rice turnovers and led 37-17 at halftime.

Rice began the second half outscoring the Spiders 9-3, but Richmond answered with a 14-2 run. Harper had eight of his 16 points during the run and Rice could get no closer than 24 the rest of the way.

Harper also had a career-high nine rebounds. Kevin Hovde had a season-high 10 points, hitting all four field goals he attempted. Ten different Spiders scored and Richmond tallied a season-high 13 three-pointers. Richmond’s defense held Rice to a season-low in points, 25 under their 68.2 average.

Lawrence Ghoram led the Owls with 10 points.

December 31, 2008 | AP Press

LEXINGTON, VA — Chavis Holmes scored 15 points in the last three minutes and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 11 seconds left as Virginia Military Institute rallied to defeat Richmond 73-70 on Wednesday night.

The Keydets (10-2) extended their winning streak to six games and have won nine of the last 10, their best run since 1990.

After Holmes’ 3-pointer put VMI up 71-69, Richmond’s Kevin Anderson made the front end of a 1-and-1 for 71-70. Holmes added two free throws with 3 seconds left to finish with 23 points.

The Spiders (7-6) led 37-33 at halftime and built a 65-58 lead with 4:18 left. That’s when Holmes went to work, making two 3s, a jumper and seven free throws.

Travis Holmes added 19 points and Austin Kenon had 16 for VMI.

Anderson had 23 points for Richmond, his 22nd straight game in double figures, and David Gonzalvez had 11, his 14th straight.

December 28, 2008 | AP Press

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Kevin Anderson scored 16 points and hit four free throws down the stretch in Richmond’s 76-69 win over North Carolina-Wilmington on Sunday night.

The Spiders (7-5) led 44-27 at halftime, and by as many as 22 points with 15:05 to play before UNC Wilmington brought the score to within as close as one.

With Richmond leading 58-38 with 11:54 left, the Seahawks (3-10) went on a 22-6 run which spanned 6:54 and was sparked by 12 points from Jerel Stephenson.

UNC Wilmington then brought the score to 70-69 with 24 seconds left on a Johnny Wolf 3-pointer, but the Spiders hit six straight free throws, including four by Anderson to seal the win.

Jarhon Giddings and David Gonzalvez added 16 and 12 points, respectively, for the Spiders.

Stephenson led the Seahawks with 22 points and seven rebounds.

December 22, 2008 | AP Press

RICHMOND, VA — Justin Harper had 18 points to lead Richmond to a 79-57 victory over Bucknell on Monday night.

The Bison (3-7) hit 6 of their first 10 shots, helping them build a 16-6 lead with 12:16 left in the first half. Justin Castleberry’s 3-pointer gave Bucknell a 21-13 lead with 6:13 left.

But the Spiders (6-5) answered with a 16-2 run, forcing five turnovers and holding the Bison to 1-for-8 from the floor during the spurt to claim a 29-23 lead at halftime.

Bucknell pulled within three points on G.W. Boon’s 3-pointer with 13:06 left in the second half. But six Richmond players scored during a 20-3 run to give the Spiders a 65-45 lead with 6:22 left.

Boon and Bryant Cohen led Bucknell with 14 points, while Peter Behan had 13 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.