Spiders Look to Get Back on Track

What:  Richmond Spiders (15-6, 5-3 A-10) vs George Washington (10-11, 4-4 A-10)

When:  6:00 PM ET

Where:  Robins Center; Richmond, VA

Where to watch:  NBC Sports Washington/ESPN+

The Richmond Spiders will look to snap their 2 game losing skid tonight at the Robins Center, as they take on the George Washington Colonials.  Richmond just went through what is said to be their toughest stretch of the season.  They fell to Dayton & VCU in a 4 day stretch, while the Colonials come in having won 2 straight vs Davidson & Saint Joseph’s.  Let’s dive into what needs to happen for Richmond to get back to their winning ways.

How the Spiders Have Fared Without Francis

In what will be the 6th straight game without leading scorer Blake Francis, the Spiders will aim to get back to winning.  Since he suffered a fractured sternum vs Saint Louis, Richmond is 3-2.  The victory vs George Mason was a moment where Spider fans felt a sense of calmness.  Yes, it was expected to beat the Patriots, but not by scoring 97 points without their leading scorer.  Grant Golden has been a force down low in 4 out of the 5 games without Francis.  He contributed 9 @ Davidson, 25 vs GMU, 15 vs La Salle, & 24 vs VCU.  The Dayton game was the one that didn’t go his way.  Needless to say, this is an impressive run, and hopefully he can use confidence gained over this recent stretch.

Matchup with the Colonials

One thing that could fall into the Spiders favor is that George Washington had a 4 OT thriller on Wednesday night.  Tired legs could become a factor here in the midst of conference play.  The Colonials are led by Armel Porter, who is averaging 14.4 ppg & 5.5 apg.  One player that has really caught my eye this year is freshman forward, Jamison Battle.  He is having quite the rookie campaign for GW, as he is coming into tonight’s contest averaging 12.7 ppg & 5.7 rpg.  He has scored 40 points in his last 2 appearances, including 25 in the 4 OT thriller vs Davidson.

Prediction

This is a game that will be tougher than expected for Richmond.  George Washington is trending in the right direction and are just 1 GB of Richmond in the Atlantic 10.  With that being said, Richmond will need to come out with more energy than they did at the Siegel Center on Tuesday.  If they can come out ready to play, this is a game that will end up going their way.  My final score prediction is Richmond 83 – George Washington 72.  As always, be sure to follow along on Twitter @AustinDaisey11 & @A10Talk.  See you tonight Spider Nation!

Featured Image via Richmond Athletics