A big second-half run pushes Spiders past Tribe of William & Mary, 71-60.

After losing a halftime lead and allowing a 20-2 second half run, Richmond pulls out a non-conference road win against William & Mary Wednesday night to improve to 7-2 on the season.

December 6, 2013; 6:34 AM • by Adam Williams

RECAP

Basketball, more than anything other sport, is one often defined by how well offenses can put together scoring runs while keeping their opponents’ scoring runs at bay with stout defense and opportune turnovers. Wednesday night’s game, which saw the Richmond Spiders steal a road victory from the Tribe of William & Mary, was no exception. Kendall Anthony’s 11 first-half points led the Spiders to a 36-30 halftime lead. Richmond’s advantage was extended to 13 points after a quick 12-5 run early in the second half. However, the Tribe would respond and go on a wild 20-2 scoring run and take the lead with just under eight minutes remaining with Richmond struggling to make only one field goal over a seven minute span. Cedrick Lindsay (8-14 FG, 1-3 3FG, 5-7 FT, 6 ASTS, 6 STLS) would lead the way for the remainder of the contest, and his 15 second-half points would spur the Spiders on to a 21-5 run to end the game and put the Tribe away, 71-60.

After what appeared to be a huge mental lapse leading to William & Mary’s second-half run, Richmond rebounded with a solid defensive effort over the final 10 minutes of the game, forcing four crucial turnovers down the stretch to halt the Tribe’s scoring streak. Last season, losing a double-digit lead in the second half while allowing a huge scoring run would have broken the back of the young Spiders. But an off-season can make all the difference, and this year’s squad refused to back down from the challenge of taking back the lead and securing a non-conference road victory.

Richmond’s offense was consistent for most of the night, shooting 50% for the game from the field and 38.9% (7-18) from behind the three-point line. While no other Spider scored more than nine points, Lindsay and Anthony (19 PTS, 6-10 FG, 5-8 3FG) proved to be enough offense for the win, outdueling the Tribe’s scoring combo of Marcus Thornton (26 PTS) and Omar Prewitt (10 PTS). Richmond’s second leading scorer, Terry Allen, scored only 2 points (1-2 FG) in only 14 minutes of play.

TOP PERFORMER

Cedrick Lindsay, now averaging 18.2 points per game, continues to shine throughout Richmond’s non-conference schedule, including Wednesday night’s 22-point performance against William & Mary. Lindsay leads the Spiders in scoring, free throw percentage (77%, with at least 20 attempts), assists (41), and steals (19) and is shooting 46.7% from the field on just over 15 shots per game.

3 Stats

• Wednesday night was the 199th meeting between Richmond and William & Mary with the Spiders leading the all-time series, 101-98.
• After their victory against the Tribe, Richmond starts their road schedule 2-0 for the first time since the 2001-2002 season.
• With Anthony’s five three-pointers Wednesday night, he is only two away from Richmond’s top-10 all time list.

LOOKING FORWARD

The Spiders look to continue their winning ways on the road against ACC opponent Wake Forest Saturday at 2:00 PM. The action can be seen on ESPN3 and heard around the region on ESPN 950. Richmond will return to the Robins Center Saturday, December 14th against Coppin State.

December 6, 2013 6:34 AM 0