Richmond Spiders Open Season With 35 to 14 Win Over Bucknell

Richmond, VA: The Richmond Spiders defeated the Bucknell Bison by a final score of 35 to 14 in the season opener on Saturday evening, starting the season 1- 0 in Patriot League play.

Spiders quarterback Ashten Snelsire went 17 for 28, passing for 199 yards and three touchdowns. Aziz Foster Powell led the Spiders on the ground with 108 yards on 15 attempts and two touchdowns, while Bryce Allen led the Spiders in receiving with four receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

Bucknell quarterback Chris Dietrich went 16 for 30, passing for 155 yards and two touchdowns.

Spiders Score on First Three Possessions, Take Commanding 28 to 0 Lead at Half

On the opening drive, the Spiders capped a six-play drive when Ashten Snelsire connected with Carson Derey on an eight-yard touchdown reception. It was Derey's first career touchdown as a Spider, giving Richmond a 7 to 0 lead with 10:21 remaining in the first quarter.

The Spiders would capitalize on their next possession as Snelsire connected with freshman Bryce Allen on a nine-yard touchdown reception to extend the Richmond lead to 14- 0 with 6:06 remaining in the first quarter, which was Allen's 1st touchdown as a Spider.

Richmond added another score on its third possession as Aziz Foster Powell scored on a one-yard rushing touchdown, putting the Spiders up 21 to 0 with 1:08 remaining in the first quarter.

Foster Powell would score again in the second quarter, rushing for a five-yard touchdown to put the Spiders up 28 to 0 with 1:06 remaining in the first half. The Spiders took a commanding 28 to 0 lead into halftime.

Bison Roar Back Following Spiders Turnover

The Bison would finally get on the scoreboard in the third quarter as Chris Dietrich connected with Michael Cadden on a 51-yard touchdown reception. The touchdown cut the Richmond lead to 28 to 7 with 2:34 remaining in the third quarter.

On the following possession, Aziz Foster Powell fumbled, and Bucknell recovered to take possession.

Following the Spiders' turnover, the Bison would cut the Richmond lead to 14 points as Dietrich connected with Sam Milligan for a 29-yard touchdown reception with 13:03 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Snelsire and Allen Connection Seals the Deal for Spiders

Following the Bison touchdown that cut the deficit to 14 points, the Spiders responded on the first play of the drive.

Ashten Snelsire connected with Bryce Allen for a 75-yard touchdown reception, extending the Richmond lead to 35- 14 with 12:53 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Spiders defense would take care of the rest as Richmond held on to defeat Bucknell 35 to 14.

Cam Byrd Discusses His 2.5 Sack Performance

Following the game, Spiders defensive standout Cam Byrd discussed his 2.5-sack performance and the team's defensive effort in the season opener.

Spiders Head North

The Spiders, now 1- 0, will head north to take on Howard, who is also 1- 0 after defeating Alabama A&M on Saturday.

Richmond will face Howard on Saturday, September 5. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

St. Joe’s Defeats UConn 72–52 to Win Back-to-Back Big East Championships at Madison Square Garden

(NEW YORK, NY) — The St. Joe’s Red Storm defeated the UConn Huskies 72–52 to win their second consecutive Big East Championship in front of a sellout crowd of 19,812 at Madison Square Garden.

The Red Storm were led by Bryce Hopkins and Big East Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor, who scored 18 points apiece, while Tarris Reed Jr. paced the Huskies with 17 points.

Red Storm Dominates Early and Often

The Red Storm wasted no time setting the tone, opening the game on a 10–0 run sparked by an Ejiofor jumper, an Oziyah Sellers three-pointer, three made free throws, and a jumper from Dylan Darling.

Solo Ball finally put the Huskies on the board with a layup that resulted in a three-point play, cutting the deficit to 10–3 with 15:55 remaining in the first half.

St. Joe’s maintained control throughout the half. An Ejiofor fast-break dunk pushed the Red Storm lead to 32–16 with 8:20 remaining before halftime. They carried that momentum into the break, taking a 40–27 lead.

UConn struggled offensively in the first half, shooting 9-for-25 from the field (36%) and committing 11 turnovers. Meanwhile, the Red Storm shot an efficient 15-for-30 (50%) and converted those turnovers into 15 points.

Second-Half Surge Seals the Title

The Red Storm extended their lead to 18 early in the second half. The Huskies responded with a 9–0 run to cut the deficit to 47–38 before a Hopkins layup halted the momentum.

Reed continued to keep UConn within striking distance, scoring on a layup and a jumper to trim the Red Storm lead to 49–42 — the closest the Huskies would get the rest of the game.

A jumper by Malachi Smith with 8:03 remaining would be UConn’s final field goal, as the Huskies trailed 59–49.

St. Joe’s closed the game emphatically, going on a 13–0 run to shut the door on any UConn comeback and secure the 72–52 championship victory.

Hoyas Come Up Short as UConn Wins 14th Straight

Washington, DC — The UConn Huskies defeated the Georgetown Hoyas 64-62 on Saturday to win their 14th straight game and remain undefeated in Big East Conference play.

UConn has now won 11 consecutive games against Georgetown, while the Hoyas have dropped five straight overall. Tarris Reed Jr led Georgetown with 15 points and 11 rebounds, including eight offensive boards.

Vincent Iwuchukwu and KJ Lewis each added 12 points for the Hoyas.

UConn Wastes No Time

The Huskies jumped out to an early 6-0 lead with 18:26 remaining in the first half following a Tarris Reed Jr dunk, a Silas Demary Jr jumper, and a Reed layup. Iwuchukwu put Georgetown on the scoreboard with 17:13 remaining, but Reed Jr later knocked down a pair of free throws to extend UConn’s lead to 10-2 with 16:08 left.

UConn maintained control for most of the first half. A Braylon Mullins basket pushed the Huskies ahead 32-24 with 1:48 remaining. Georgetown closed the half strong, scoring the final four points to cut the deficit to 32-28 at halftime.

Hoyas Take Their First Lead

Georgetown carried its momentum into the second half. Iwuchukwu scored in the opening minutes to trim the UConn lead to two. On the following possession, Caleb Williams drilled a three-pointer, sending the crowd of 17,861 into a frenzy as the Hoyas took their first lead of the game. KJ Lewis later connected on a pair of free throws to cap a 12-0 run for Georgetown.

UConn Responds Late

The game was tied at 45 following an Iwuchukwu basket with 9:56 remaining. UConn regained the lead at 47-45 after converting a pair of free throws with 8:55 left and held the advantage for the remainder of the second half.

Georgetown had chances late. Lewis pulled the Hoyas within 63-60 with 32 seconds remaining, but after UConn guard Solo Ball missed two free throws, Lewis’ three-point attempt came up short. The Huskies held on for the 64-62 victory.

What’s Next

Georgetown, now 9-9 overall and 1-6 in Big East play, will face Villanova on Wednesday, January 21. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 pm.