Live blog: Richmond vs. Radford

Anthony dribbles the clock out and finalizes the Spider win. The story of this game was, as expected, Kendall Anthony, who led the Spiders with 18 points and came alive in the second half when it mattered most. The negative for Richmond, though, was its deficit on the offensive boards, as the team had 12 fewer offensive rebounds than Radford did. The Spiders had solid play from reserve T.J. Cline in his first game as a Spider, and Alonzo Nelson-Ododa proved to be a defensive force with four blocks and two steals. 

:47.9 -- Fouls are delaying the end to what is an inevitable victory for the Spiders. Dyer makes two free throws for Radford to narrow the gap to 16. 

2:15 -- Anthony goes to the free throw line and makes one of two free throws. The lead is 18 with just more than two minutes left in the game. 

3:50 -- The Spiders are in a groove and pulling away from Radford. A steal results in a fast-break score for Ododa, which makes the lead 60-41. Radford responds with an easy layup, but the lead is still 17. It appears to be too late for the Highlanders to mount a comeback. 

4:14 -- Cline is fouled as Radford tries to trap him. He steps up to the line, and Jones give him a pep talk before he knocks down both free throws. 

4:30 -- Anthony continues to prove he is the best player on the court. He buries another three and gives the Spiders a 16-point lead. 

5:45 -- After a scoreless few minutes, Cline banks in a short shot to push the lead to 51-38. On the next possession, Allen jumps and floats down the lane for another easy layup. The lead is now 53-40, after Radford responded with an easy layup of its own. 

8:02 -- He is who we thought he was. Anthony drains another beautiful baseline jumper to give the Spiders a 49-36 lead. He is in a zone right now, and if he keeps up this play, the Highlanders are in trouble. 

9:55 -- Anthony continues to be effective on offense, as he takes the inbound pass and shoots from the baseline for two. He now leads Richmond with 12 points, which is what most people would expect from the senior captain.

11:19 -- Anthony is being noticeably more aggressive in the second half. He drives down the court once again and draws the foul. He now has eight points, with two foul shots to come. 

12:26 -- Radford cut the lead to seven, and Anthony didn't seem to like that. He drives down the court past defenders and makes an easy layup. Richmond leads 43-34.

15:04 -- The Spiders are capitalizing on shot opportunities in the paint, as Cline fades away and makes a hook shot. 

16:00 -- Radford responds to the Spider run, as the team makes a few foul shots but the lead stays to nine points. 

17:00 -- The Spiders are starting to click on both sides of the ball, as a block turns into an easy fast-break layup for Anthony. Allen earns the assist on the play, and Davis makes the block.

17:41 -- Anthony passes to a wide-open Allen, who drains a three. The next possession, Allen scores again on a mid-range jumper. Richmond has opened up a 37-24 lead on the Highlanders. 

19:50 -- Both teams open the half with easy scores on layups, then Anthony floats in a short jumper. The offense is coming much easier in the second half, as the Spiders lead 33-24. 

At halftime, the Spiders lead Radford 29-22. Richmond is shooting much more effectively than Radford, as the Spiders are shooting at about 48 percent and the Highlanders are shooting just 25 percent. However, Radford's nine offensive rebounds have allowed the team to take seven more shots than Richmond. If Ododa and the big men continue to score easy baskets and make blocks on the defensive end, the Spiders should pull away early and win this game. Stay tuned for updates during the second half.

:37.8 -- Richmond is beginning to pull away from the Highlanders, as Allen makes two free throws and pushes the lead to nine points. 

1:56 -- The back court is finally able to make an exciting play, as Jones drains a 3-pointer and excites the crowd. Richmond is now on a 6-0 run. 

With about three minutes left in the first half, Ododa and Trey Davis each have six points to lead Richmond, and Cline has five points of his own. The big men have been able to put points on the board with Anthony and Jones struggling to score from the back court.

4:27 -- The Spiders are being led by some unexpected stars tonight. Ododa makes a layup and now has six points and three blocks. Cline blocked a shot a few minutes ago, and he now has five points and a block. 

5:50 -- Cline is proving to be a solid addition for the Spiders, as he spins and drops in a layup to bring his point total to five. The game is now tied at 16. 

7:02 -- As surprising as it may be, Anthony and Jones have combined for just three points so far tonight.

8:00 -- Ododa is leading Richmond right now. He grabs an offensive rebound, then maneuvers around a defender for the lay-in. The game is tied at 14. 

9:15 -- Ododa responds for the Spiders, as he makes two free throws and then dives on the floor for a steal on the other end. The Spiders lead 12-11. 

10:08 -- Radford's RJ Price loses his dribble, then steps back well behind the 3-point line and drains a three to give his team the lead. The score is now 11-10. 

11:05 -- Ododa is making his presence known in the paint, as he blocks another shot and now has three tonight. 

Stat of the first eight minutes: Radford is a dismal 2-11 on field goals tonight, while Richmond is 4-9. 

11:50 -- Richmond was struggling from behind the arc until T.J. Cline stepped back and drained a 3-pointer. The Spiders are now 1-6 from 3-point range, and lead the Highlanders 10-8.

Five minutes into the game, the big stat for the Spiders is Alonzo Nelson-Ododa's two blocks. Both came near the rim and saved what would have been easy layups. 

15:20 -- The Spiders are feeling it now, as ShawnDre' Jones crosses up a defender and drains a step-back jumper. His play ignited the crowd here in the Robins Center. 

16:10 -- Trey Davis makes the first big Spider play of the game, as he drives to the basket and elevates over a defender for the layup. The score is now 5-4, Spiders. 

16:56 -- The referees are getting involved early and often. They have called multiple fouls and two procedural penalties on the Spiders. The game is still tied at 2, as both defenses have been hustling and playing well. 

18:03 -- Kendall Anthony is attacking early for Richmond, but to no avail. The game is tied at 2. 

19:14 -- The Spiders start the game off with two electrifying defensive plays. A block and a steal give the Spiders an early 2-0 lead. 

The teams have been introduced. The Robins Center is alive, and the fans and teams are ready to get the season under way.

Hey everyone, I'm Charlie Broaddus and I'll be providing you all with live updates and analysis throughout tonight's game between the Richmond Spiders and the Radford Highlanders. We are about 10 minutes from tip-off in the Robins Center. Stay tuned throughout the game!