The Richmond Spiders (14-10), the Atlantic 10’s top shooting team, will be in action against the Davidson Wildcats (14-9) at Belk Arena. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 16.
The Wildcats lost a tough one against George Mason 60-59 on Saturday. Jack Gibbs finished with 30 points to lead the game. The Spiders, meanwhile, are coming off a 71-67 win over Fordham on Saturday. ShawnDre’ Jones led the team in scoring with 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting.
T.J. Cline has been on fire over the last five games for the Spiders, averaging 20.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.0 three-pointers.
When examining eFG%, the Spiders appear to have a noticeable advantage on the offensive side. They’re ranked 18th in the nation in that category at 55.6%, while the porous defense of Davidson ranks only 291st in eFG% defense as opponents are hitting 51.9%.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Wildcats won the first game 78-70. Peyton Aldridge was a standout player in the game, producing 34 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, two blocks, and one three-pointer.
Even with a positive Straight Up (SU) record of 14-9, the Wildcats are 6-15-1 Against The Spread (ATS) in those games. The Wildcats come into the game with the 32nd-ranked scoring offense in the nation, averaging 79.8 points per game. Davidson has been steady from the free throw line, shooting a stellar .754. The Wildcats, sporting the eighth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.56), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team.
On the other side, Richmond has a SU record of 14-10 and an ATS record of 9-11. They sport the 23rd-ranked scoring offense in the country, averaging 78 points per game. The Spiders are an unselfish team with an average of 17.0 assists per game, ranking 17th in Division I. Taking care of the basketball is something the Spiders do very well, averaging just 10.7 turnovers per game.
Following the Wildcats’ latest win over Richmond, their SU record against Richmond moves to 4-1 over their most recent meetings. With a 4-1 record, the Wildcats also have the advantage ATS. Davidson held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once, while Richmond was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Rich, ATS Winner – Rich
Notes
Davidson averages 79.8 points per game (ranked 32nd). Richmond, on the other hand, allows 73.4 points per game (ranked 176th).
Davidson scores 81.3 points per home game (ranked 55th). Richmond ranks a poor 216th in points allowed on the road, allowing 79.9 points.
Ranked 71st, the Davidson Wildcats have an offensive rating of 111.2. The Richmond Spiders rank 250th with a defensive rating of just 106.3.
Davidson averages 71.8 possessions per game, scoring 1.112 points on each possession. While Richmond averages fewer possessions per game with 69.4, they score more points per possession with 1.124.
Richmond has an average effective field goal percentage of 55.6% (ranked 18th in the nation). Davidson is a subpar 3-7 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, Davidson attempts 27.0 three pointers and Richmond attempts 21.0. Both teams have winning records when they have 20 or more three point attempts. The Davidson Wildcats sit at 14-8 and the Richmond Spiders are 8-5.
Richmond ranks among the best in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.60 (ranked fifth). Davidson is ranked in the top 25 at eighth with an A/TO of 1.56 this season.
On average, Davidson forces a turnover rate of 17.4%. When Richmond turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a stellar 6-2 record.
