Strong 2nd half propels Richmond –

The Richmond Spiders improve to 7-1 on the season, after defeating the Hampton Pirates (3-5) 80-63.  The Spiders were led once again by strong 3-point shooting, as they hit 15 as a team.  Jacob Gilyard & Blake Francis led the Richmond offense tonight, as Francis scored a game high 29 points.  Richmond struggled in the 1st half, but were able to find their stride in the final 20 minutes after heading into the half on a 14-2 run.  Nick Sherod had an excellent night, after an off night vs Boston College.  Sherod registered 16 points in tonight’s victory.

Clutch shooting for Richmond

Richmond was in need of a spark early in the 2nd half, and Matt Grace was there to provide it.  He hit 2 big three’s for the Spiders, and everything seemed to roll along from there.  With Grant Golden & Nathan Cayo out tonight, Matt Grace and Tyler Burton saw a lot of minutes.  Grace scored 7 points, including the two 3’s, while Tyler Burton provided some much needed energy for the Spiders.  Andre Gustavson also saw a lot of time tonight, and had a good defensive night for Richmond.

The Road Ahead:

Richmond will have a much needed 4 day layoff until their matchup with South Alabama (5-3) on Sunday at the Robins Center (2:00/ESPN+).  This will give Grant Golden & Nathan Cayo some time to hopefully be back in action.  Golden is supposed to be out of his boot tomorrow, and we will be sure to update you on his status.  The Spiders need to keep piling up the non-conference victories if they want a chance at an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament in March. Stay up to date on all things Richmond Spiders & A-10 at www.a10talk.com and on Twitter at @A10Talk.