Spiders close out topsy-turvy non-conference schedule with loss to FGCU

A tumultuous second half for the University of Richmond men’s basketball team handed the Spiders a 75-57 loss against Florida Gulf Coast University at the Robins Center on Dec. 28.

With now eight losses on the season and conference play on the horizon, the Spiders proved yet again that they have yet to show the consistency needed for the conference portion of their schedule. 

In the first half, the Spiders showed flashes of solid offense and showed distribution in terms of their scoring. Four different UR players had made their way into the box score by the first timeout as the Spiders jumped out to an early 8-7 lead.  

UR stayed with the Eagles on the scoreboard for the majority of the first 20 minutes of play. With 6:32, two free throws from junior center Mike Walz gave the Spiders a 28-23 advantage, but FGCU would ultimately go on a 15-2 run to finish out the first half ahead, 38-30. 

The Eagles continued their late first-half surge to open up the second half, as just over two minutes into play, FGCU’s lead had swelled to 15 points. This only grew the hole the Spiders were already tasked with climbing out of heading into halftime. 

And climb out of the hole they could not. The Spiders were never fully able to contend with the Eagles’ offensive output in the second half. 

Sloppy play throughout the game worked to negate whatever offense UR could muster of its own, and strong performances from graduate forward Dusan Neskovic and junior forward Jonathan Beagle ultimately proved not enough to defeat the Eagles. 

“Obviously [FGCU] outplayed us tonight and I thought they played a very good game,” UR Head Coach Chris Mooney said in a postgame press conference. “I thought we weren’t good enough defensively early and then we shot so poorly for the course of the game.” 

UR shot just 30.19% from the field and 21.88% from 3-point range over the course of the contest. Neskovic and Beagle were UR’s only two double-figure scorers, finishing with 20 and 14 points, respectively. 

This was the third-straight game in which Neskovic scored 20 points or more, following a 20-point outing against the College of William & Mary on Dec. 18 and a 23-point effort against the Virginia Military Institute on Dec. 21. 

Looking back at their non-conference schedule, the Spiders began their season with a commanding 33-point victory over the University of Mount Olive and it looked as if UR had found an early stride. Back-to-back-to-back losses against Marist College, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Bucknell University proved otherwise, however. 

Suddenly, what, on paper, appeared to be a mostly winnable non-conference slate for the Spiders gave them trouble as early as in game two of the season – something they still have yet to quite bounce back from. And that’s not to mention another three-game losing skid UR incurred with consecutive losses against Auburn University, Belmont University, and William & Mary. 

Now UR has conference play waiting in the wings, with the Spiders’ first Atlantic 10 matchup coming at home against The George Washington University at 4 p.m. on Dec. 31. 

If conference play has proven anything in the past, based on where the Spiders were projected to finish last year – 11th in the conference – compared to where they actually finished – tied for first place with Loyola University Chicago – the next 18 games could go any number of ways for UR’s squad. 

“We just have to be better and compete better,” Mooney said. “So it is obviously new and college games, conference games are exciting and great and takes another step, but we really need to make sure we take care of ourselves and are zeroed in.” 

Contact sports editor Jimmy James at jimmy.james@richmond.edu.