Richmond gets past George Washington, 68-58
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Justin Harper scored a career-high 30 points Wednesday night and started a 23-6 second-half run that carried Richmond past George Washington, 68-58.
The Spiders (14-5, 3-1 Atlantic 10) trailed 33-24 at halftime, but made the big run to start the second half and take command. Kevin Anderson had 11 points in the burst and Harper had 10, including a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer from the left wing to get it started.
Joseph Katuka scored 17 points and Dwayne Smith 10 for the Colonials (10-8, 3-1), who lost for only the second time in their last five visits to the Robins Center.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Anderson added 20 points for Richmond, which had lost two of its last three at home.
Harper, who hit 11 of 15 shots and 4 of 5 3-point attempts, missed his last two shots before hitting a pair of free throws in the final minute to top the previous best of 28 set in January 2009.
The 6-foot-10 senior is now averaging nearly 27 points in conference games to lead the league, and has made 38 of 59 field goal tries, 64 percent.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He followed his 3-pointer to start the second half scoring with a driving basket. Anderson then made a free throw and a reverse layup. After Dan Guest's layup for the Colonials, Anderson hit a 16-footer and Harper followed with a 3-pointer, giving the Spiders a 37-35 lead, their first since early in the game. By the time the run was finished, on another lay-in by Harper with 10:21 to play, the Spiders had a 47-39 lead and were cruising.
The victory was their 25th in their last 28 home games.
George Washington led by as many as nine on several occasions in the first half, including at the break after Guest's driving layup fell with 2 seconds to go in the half. It was one of several easy layups for the Colonials, who shot almost 56 percent for the half.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}They were just 6 for 24 after halftime, and finished shooting just over 41 percent.