The Court 'Cocks just finished up a convincing 76-60 victory over a solid Richmond team. The Spiders played tough and led at the half, but we completely took over in the second half on the strength of improved shooting and toughness on the boards. Devan Downey led the way for us with 18 points, while Justin Harper led the Spiders with 15.
Here are my thoughts on the game:
- This was a solid win. Richmond is a talented, experience team that is projected to dance this year. They currently have nice wins over Mississippi State and Missouri. Dominating them like we did in the second half without two of our starters was impressive. If we can continue to play at this level, I have no doubt that we can win most of our remaining games before Dominique Archie returns, at which point we'll be ready to handle the SEC.
- We're definitely a second half team. That's not surprising, as our up-tempo style is designed to yield dividends as the opponent tires late in the game.
- We dominated the boards in this game, and that's part of what made the difference. We took a full 11 more FGA than Richmond, mostly due to all of our offensive boards. The big performers here were Sam Muldrow, Jhondre Jefferson, and Austin Steed. Jefferson, in particular, played quite well; his continued development is important for us as we stare down possibly being without Mike Holmes for the rest of the year.
- Ramon Galloway is really playing well. This guy is the surprise of the season so far for me. I knew he was good, but he's beginning to make me think he might be a star in the making. Along with Lakeem Jackson and Jefferson, he's got me thinking that this year's freshman class is going to be better than expected.
- Evaldas Baniulus, on the other hand, is not playing well. He's cold as ice from the field right now, and since he's always been a defensive liability, he's really not worth much to us for the time being. Hopefully he'll get it together and start shooting like he did last year.
Well, that's a wrap on this one. Next up is a road game at Wofford. The Terriers are a decent team this year, so hopefully we'll be ready for them. Go 'Cocks.