DAVIDSON, N.C. (Interstat) — In a grinding, defensive Atlantic 10 clash where every possession carried outsized weight, the Davidson Wildcats survived a furious second-half rally from the Richmond Spiders to escape with a 65-63 victory on Wednesday night at a tense Belk Arena.

The game, witnessed by 2,597 fans, was a stark contrast to the teams’ meeting just over two weeks prior, a 25-point Davidson rout. This time, the Spiders, fueled by a determined second-half performance from guard Aiden Argabright, clawed back from an 11-point halftime deficit to take a late lead before ultimately falling short in the final seconds.

Davidson, which improved to 16-10 overall, controlled the first half behind efficient interior play and took a 35-24 lead into the break. Richmond, which shot just 23 of 58 from the floor for the game, struggled to find offensive rhythm early. The Wildcats stretched their lead to 13 points early in the second half before the Spiders began their methodical comeback.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the final minute. With Davidson leading 64-62, Richmond’s AJ Lopez hit a pull-up jumper to tie the game with 34 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Davidson worked the ball to Parker Friedrichsen, who was fouled by Will Johnston on a drive with 8 seconds left. Friedrichsen made the first free throw to put the Wildcats up 65-64 but missed the second.

Richmond secured the defensive rebound and called timeout with 7 seconds to play. Out of the break, Lopez drove into the lane but missed a floating jumper. Jaden Daughtry secured the offensive rebound for the Spiders, but his putback attempt was blocked by Davidson’s 7-foot center Ian Platteeuw. The ball was tipped and gathered by Daughtry again, whose second-chance layup at the buzzer was also contested and missed, sealing the Wildcats’ narrow win.

The final possessions encapsulated a game defined by defense and missed opportunities. Davidson won despite shooting just 40% from the field and 7 of 27 from three-point range. Richmond was hampered by 8-of-14 shooting from the free throw line and a mere four assists on 23 made field goals.

Argabright led all scorers with 16 points for Richmond, with 12 coming in the second half. Lopez added 15 points for the Spiders, who fell to 14-13. Davidson was paced by Roberts Blums, who scored 18 points and grabbed several key defensive rebounds down the stretch. Josh Scovens contributed 11 points and four assists for the Wildcats.

The statistical story was one of slim margins. Davidson scored 65 points on 66 possessions for an offensive rating of 98.6, while Richmond scored 63 on 64 possessions for a 99.0 rating. The Wildcats compensated for their poor shooting by committing only four turnovers, compared to 10 for Richmond, and by securing 10 offensive rebounds.

The loss continued a pattern of close defeats for Richmond in conference play, while Davidson managed to hold serve at home despite a significant offensive drought in the second half, during which they were outscored 39-30.

Richmond returns home to face Saint Bonaventure on Saturday, looking to snap a two-game skid. Davidson hits the road for its next contest at Fordham, also on Saturday.