University of Richmond’s stingy defense, led by Alonzo Nelson-Ododa, overwhelmed St. Bonaventure Sunday afternoon and a second-half surge turned a close game into a Spider blowout.
Nelson-Ododa, who head coach Chris Mooney dubbed as the team’s catalyst on Sunday, scored 10 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and forced the Bonnies into tough shots, which helped Richmond top St. Bonaventure 60-41.
“I thought he just led us,” Mooney said of Nelson-Ododa. “His energy, his effort, the plays that he made, his blocks, his rebounds – I thought he was terrific.”
Despite the lopsided score, St. Bonaventure stayed within striking distance until late. Both teams struggled to score in the first half, each shooting below 41 percent, and Richmond took a 25-23 lead into the break.
Foul trouble plagued both sides early, as Richmond’s T.J. Cline and St. Bonaventure’s Youssou Ndoye each picked up two quick fouls and had to watch most of the first half from the bench.
Nelson-Ododa called Ndoye a problem inside and said having him out had helped the Spiders.
Cline emerged in the second half, scoring eight of his 11 points and hitting a pair of timely 3-pointers. Ndoye, however, struggled to make an impact, and he finished with just four points and six rebounds in 20 minutes, all well below his season averages.
Ndoye is a huge part of the Bonnies game plan, so losing him greatly impacted St. Bonaventure, Mooney said. When Ndoye returned, the Bonnies tried to force-feed him the ball, Mooney said.
“It takes a big guy some time and some touches to get his rhythm,” Mooney said.
The Spiders held the Bonnies to just two field goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half, which helped Richmond get its first double-digit lead on a Terry Allen layup midway through the half.
With Richmond leading 46-35 and just over seven minutes left, ShawnDre' Jones hit one of his 3-pointers, which was soon followed by a ferocious fast-break dunk from Allen. This sequence of plays brought many fans to their feet and served as Richmond’s knockout punch.
Richmond will travel to Washington, D.C., to face George Washington University on Thursday. The Spiders remain winless in true road games this year, with their only win away from home coming against Pepperdine at Madison Square Garden.
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Contact Jack Nicholson at jack.nicholson@richmond.edu
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