RICHMOND, Va. (Interstat) — The Richmond Spiders, fueled by a dominant second-half performance and overwhelming efficiency in the paint, overcame a halftime deficit to defeat the Old Dominion Monarchs 86-77 in a non-conference men’s basketball game Saturday at a sold-out Robins Center.

A crowd of 4,602 watched the Spiders (8-1) erase a one-point halftime disadvantage by erupting for 51 points after the break, shooting a blistering 60% from the field in the final 20 minutes. The Monarchs (3-7), meanwhile, could not sustain their first-half momentum, falling for the sixth time in their last seven contests.

The game’s pivotal shift occurred in the opening minutes of the second half. Trailing 36-35, Richmond unleashed a 12-2 run, transforming a narrow deficit into a 47-38 lead they would never relinquish. The surge was emblematic of the Spiders’ offensive philosophy: attack the basket relentlessly. Richmond finished with a commanding 50-34 advantage in points in the paint, a testament to their interior focus and superior shot-making near the rim.

Richmond’s offensive execution was clinical, scoring 86 points on just 77 possessions for an offensive rating of 111.3. Old Dominion, by contrast, managed 77 points on 76 possessions, an offensive rating of 100.7. The Spiders’ efficiency came despite attempting only 14 three-pointers, making four. They instead leveraged their size and guard penetration, converting 32 of 66 field goal attempts overall.

Mike Walz, the Spiders’ 6-foot-11 center from Berwyn, Pennsylvania, was a central figure in the paint dominance. He scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds in just 22 minutes, providing a consistent finishing presence. His frontcourt mate, Richmond native Jaden Daughtry, matched Walz’s scoring output with 17 points and added eight rebounds, with 15 of his points coming after halftime.

The Monarchs were led by the backcourt duo of LJ Thomas and Ketron Shaw. Thomas, a guard from Plant City, Florida, scored a game-high 19 points and collected seven rebounds. Shaw, from Charlotte, North Carolina, filled the stat sheet with 17 points, six rebounds and six assists. Robert Davis added 17 points for Old Dominion.

Despite the individual efforts, Old Dominion’s offensive flow was often stagnant. The Monarchs registered only four assists on 27 made field goals and shot just 37.5% from the floor. They relied heavily on perimeter shooting, attempting 29 three-pointers but connecting on only seven. While they stayed competitive by forcing seven Richmond turnovers and converting them into seven points, and by scoring 17 fastbreak points, they lacked the consistent half-court execution to keep pace.

Richmond’s defense also played a key role, swatting seven shots compared to Old Dominion’s three. Apostolos Roumoglou, the 6-foot-8 forward from Greece, was a defensive anchor off the bench with three blocks and seven rebounds, altering numerous other attempts in his 21 minutes.

The first half was a tightly contested affair featuring eight lead changes. Old Dominion built its largest lead at 27-21 following a Robert Davis three-pointer with just over four minutes remaining, but Richmond closed the period on a 14-9 run to trim the margin to 36-35 at the intermission.

Any hope for a Monarchs road victory was quickly extinguished by Richmond’s second-half onslaught. After the Spiders established their nine-point lead early, Old Dominion could never cut the deficit to fewer than five points. Every Monarch push was answered, often by Daughtry or Walz inside or by the steady guard play of Aiden Argabright, who contributed 15 points and four assists.

Richmond sealed the game at the free-throw line in the final minute, with Argabright calmly sinking four consecutive attempts to extend the lead and cap a 9-for-10 performance from the stripe in the second half.

The victory extends Richmond’s strong start to the season, with their only loss coming by a single point at Furman. Old Dominion continues to search for consistency, with all seven of their losses coming by double-digit margins.

Richmond will look to continue its momentum when it hosts Southern Illinois next Saturday. Old Dominion aims to regroup with a visit to George Mason next Saturday.