Richmond University: A Tapestry of Learning and Discovery

RICHMOND, Va. — In the initial 14 minutes of Saturday’s encounter against Florida Gulf Coast, the Spiders’ offense was functioning smoothly. UR maintained a five-point advantage, having scored 28 points on 9-19 shooting from the court. However, Richmond subsequently missed its following 12 field goal attempts, witnessing its five-point lead morph into a 15-point deficit over the next nine minutes of game play as FGCU seized control of the game on their way to a 75-57 victory in the Robins Center.

“They executed a solid defensive strategy, and part of it was conceding the three-point shot,” remarked Mooney regarding the Eagles’ defensive approach. “They were safeguarding the hoop against drives and post plays but were prepared to allow three-point shots. At some point, you need to convert those.”

Richmond registered a 7-32 (21.9 percent) performance from three-point territory, marking their poorest showing at home this season. The Spiders’ overall field goal percentage of 30.2 (16-53) was the lowest in a home contest since December 30, 2021, against Saint Joseph’s (27.8) and ranked seventh-lowest in any game at the Robins Center during Mooney’s 20-year coaching duration.

UR’s most productive stretch during the second half saw the Spiders reduce the deficit to 10 at 60-50 with 8:17 left, following a three-pointer and a couple of free throws by forward Dusan Neskovic.

“When we had the three guards on the floor, and I think we got it down to 10 after Dusan’s three, the next three possessions were similar in that the game’s tempo was rapid, and we were moving but ended up missing all three shots,” Mooney stated.

Richmond was led by Neskovic, who netted a game-high 20 points and contributed a team-best nine rebounds, one shy of his personal best. The only other Spider to score in double digits was forward Jonathan Beagle, who hit for 14 points on 5-8 shooting from the field. He was the sole Spider to make over half of his shot attempts on Saturday.

“When you have players who can shoot, it’s essential to make a few so that the defense has to step out and guard you a bit,” stated Mooney.

The setback left Richmond with a record of 5-8 at the close of its non-conference stretch.

“It’s certainly tempting to explore new strategies, but I believe the most crucial aspect is to focus on excelling at what we’re currently doing,” Mooney expressed. “We need to continue to enhance our understanding of how we approach defense and improve our scoring strategies. If we can accomplish these goals, we can evolve and perform better. … We’re a few months into genuinely attempting to adopt a specific approach, and it’s vital that we improve at it.”

The Spiders, reigning regular season champions in the Atlantic 10, will commence their 24^th season in the conference on Tuesday at the Robins Center against George Washington. The tip-off is set for 4 PM, and the game will be broadcasted on both ESPN Plus and Monumental Sports Network.

“Conference matchups are thrilling and significant, but we absolutely need to ensure we focus on ourselves and remain dialed in,” remarked Mooney. “There’s undoubtedly so much we must improve upon, and we’re going to put in significant effort over the next few days — while we are not in class — to make this happen.”