RICHMOND, Va. (Interstat) — The Richmond Spiders, leveraging a dominant first-half performance and a relentless defensive effort, cruised to an 80-56 victory over The Citadel Bulldogs in a nonconference men’s basketball game Saturday at a sold-out Robins Center.

A crowd of 4,401 watched the Spiders improve to 10-2 on the season, while The Citadel fell to 3-10.

The game’s decisive stretch came early, as Richmond established immediate control and never relented. After The Citadel’s Carter Kingsbury opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, Richmond responded with a 9-0 run, fueled by long-range shots from Mikkel Tyne and Mike Walz. The Spiders’ offensive execution, combined with disruptive defense, quickly built a double-digit lead from which the Bulldogs never recovered.

Richmond’s first-half efficiency was staggering. The Spiders shot 50 percent from the field before halftime, assisting on eight of their 15 made baskets while forcing 10 Citadel turnovers. Those miscues were converted into 12 points, fueling a transition game that produced 11 fast-break points in the opening period. A key sequence saw Richmond freshman Jaden Daughtry, a local product from Richmond, Virginia, score on consecutive possessions—a layup and a dunk—off assists from Jonathan Beagle to push the lead to 13-4, forcing an early Citadel timeout.

The Spiders closed the half on a 13-4 run over the final 4:38, capped by a Mike Walz 3-pointer, to take a commanding 42-32 lead into the break. The Citadel, despite 10 first-half points from Braxton Williams, could not consistently solve Richmond’s defensive pressure or match its offensive flow.

Any notion of a second-half rally was swiftly extinguished. Richmond opened the final period with a 10-2 surge, extending its lead to 52-34 within the first five minutes. The Bulldogs never cut the deficit below 14 points the rest of the way as the Spiders methodically expanded their advantage, leading by as many as 26 before settling on the 24-point final margin.

Richmond’s balance was on full display. Daughtry led all scorers with 17 points in just 16 minutes, adding three steals. Walz, a 6-foot-11 forward from Berwyn, Pennsylvania, provided 14 points, three assists and two blocks. AJ Lopez and Collin Tanner each added 14 points, with Tanner’s all coming in the second half. The Spiders shared the ball effectively, with nine assists against only eight turnovers, and scored 18 points off 16 Citadel giveaways.

The Citadel was led by Braxton Williams of Thomasville, Alabama, who finished with 10 points, and Logan Applegate, who also chipped in 10 points off the bench. The Bulldogs struggled offensively throughout, posting an offensive rating of just 83.2 points per 100 possessions. They shot 40 percent from the field and committed 16 turnovers, which stifled any chance of sustained offense.

Defensively, Richmond held The Citadel to 24 second-half points on 32 percent shooting. The Spiders also controlled the interior, outscoring the Bulldogs 28-24 in the paint and matching them on the offensive glass with seven rebounds apiece.

The victory keeps Richmond perfect at home this season and provides momentum as the team prepares to open Atlantic 10 Conference play later this month. The Citadel, mired in a three-game losing streak, will look to regroup before its next contest.

Richmond next hosts Charleston Southern on Dec. 28. The Citadel returns to action on Dec. 31, hosting East Tennessee State.