Giant-killer has UR next

Division III Randolph-Macon, making 13 of 23 3-point attempts, won 73-72 at George Mason on Wednesday night in an exhibition.

"Don't forget, we went to South America [in August] and played nine games in 11 days, and I would say five of those games were against teams that were Division I-caliber," said Yellow Jackets coach Mike Rhoades, whose team is picked to win the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. "That really helped us."

He reminded his energized players in the postgame locker room at Patriot Center that the result doesn't count. But R-MC probably won't be intimidated at the Robins Center next Saturday, when the University of Richmond opens its regular season vs. the Jackets. The Spiders are the only Atlantic 10 Conference team scheduled to meet a Division III opponent.

Richmond plays at Syracuse the Tuesday following the date with R-MC, and UR coach Chris Mooney wanted game competition before his team hits the road.

"It was just very difficult for us to find an opponent," Mooney said. "When we couldn't, we just began talks with Randolph-Macon and said 'Hey, would you be able to do this if nothing else fits for us?'"

In their college days, Mooney and Rhoades were teammates on a Philadelphia summer-league outfit. One of Mooney's assistants, Jamal Brunt, was a four-year starter at Macon, and an assistant there from 2003-05. Still, this is planned to be a one-shot deal.

"It wasn't something that we're looking to start as a tradition," Mooney said. "We're pleased we'll be able to play them and, hopefully, in the future, we'll be able to not have to do that."

Richmond's game against R-MC is odd, but certainly not the oddest non-Division I matchup for a state Division I program. In back-to-back home games this month, VMI plays Maryland Bible College and Seminary, whose tallest player is 6-3, and Stevenson University.

UR hasn't faced non-Division I competition since 1984, when the Spiders beat Division II Tampa in the first round of a University of Virginia tournament. The Spiders last met a Division III program in 1981. Given Wednesday's exhibition result involving Macon and Mason, "maybe some more people will show up at the game at the Robins Center, which is great," Rhoades said.

NOTE: The Spiders and Yellow Jackets tip off at 8 p.m. next Saturday because UR's football team entertains Delaware at 3:30 that day. . . . Tickets, hot dogs and sodas are $1 each for the game.
Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or .