University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Southern Illinois
11/11/2026 | Men's Basketball
RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond men's basketball will put its unbeaten start on the line Thursday when the Spiders visit Southern Illinois for their first true road game of the season.
Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Banterra Center in Carbondale, Ill., with the game streaming on ESPN+. Richmond enters at 3-0 following a 79-53 victory over Temple Sunday at The Palestra, while Southern Illinois is 1-1 after splitting its first two games. Thursday will be just the second meeting between the programs after Richmond defeated SIU 93-84 in overtime last December at the Robins Center.
The Spiders are 3-0 for the second straight season and the sixth time in Chris Mooney's 22 seasons at Richmond. A win Thursday would give UR consecutive 4-0 starts for the second time under Mooney.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Tipoff: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Banterra Center | Carbondale, Ill.
TV: ESPN+ — Scott Beatty (play-by-play) and Pat Poore (analyst)
Radio: ESPN Richmond — Bob Black (play-by-play)
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats and Schedule | Media Notes
HISTORIC START FOR THE SPIDERS
Richmond has opened its season with three consecutive wins by at least 20 points, defeating UNC Asheville 100-77, Southern Virginia 107-46 and Temple 79-53.
It is just the second time in program history the Spiders have opened a season with three straight 20-point victories. The other came in 1953, when Richmond opened with wins against Medical College of Virginia, Richmond Professor's Institute and Randolph-Macon.
The Spiders have combined efficient offense with disruptive defense during their 3-0 start. Richmond is averaging 95.3 points per game while shooting 57.3% from the field and 49.3% from 3-point range. UR has assisted on 73 of its 110 field goals and is averaging 24.3 assists per game.
Opponents, meanwhile, are averaging just 58.7 points and shooting 37.1% from the floor and 24.4% from behind the arc. Richmond has forced 59 turnovers while recording 44 steals through three games.
SPIDERS SHUT DOWN TEMPLE
Richmond's 79-53 victory over Temple marked its third straight double-digit win and its largest margin of victory in a game away from the Robins Center since defeating Massachusetts by 33 points in the opening round of the 2023 Atlantic 10 Tournament.
The Spiders held Temple to 29.6% shooting and 7-of-32 from 3-point range while outrebounding the Owls 42-33. Richmond led for more than 39 minutes and never trailed.
Jamie Kaiser Jr. led Richmond with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Aiden Argabright scored 15. Andrew Ball added 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and Derin Saran recorded his fourth career double-double with 10 points and a careern-high 12 rebounds.
SARAN SETTING THE PACE
Saran has emerged as one of the nation's most efficient distributors early in his first season with the Spiders.
The senior enters Thursday averaging 7.0 assists against just 0.7 turnovers per game, totaling 21 assists and only two turnovers through three contests. He also leads Richmond at 7.3 rebounds per game while averaging 9.3 points.
BALANCE THROUGH THE LINEUP
Richmond has received scoring from throughout its revamped roster during its 3-0 start.
Dominick Stewart leads the Spiders at 17.0 points per game while shooting 69.2% from the field and 66.7% from 3-point range. Kaiser is averaging 15.7 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 60% overall and 64.3% from deep.
Ball has provided another efficient option off the bench, averaging 11.7 points while making 15 of his 21 field-goal attempts, a 71.4% clip. Argabright is averaging 10.0 points and 3.3 assists, while Amon Dörries is contributing 9.7 points with 16 assists through three games.
REMATCH WITH THE SALUKIS
Thursday's game comes less than 11 months after Richmond and Southern Illinois met for the first time.
The Spiders overcame a nine-point second-half deficit to defeat SIU 93-84 in overtime on Dec. 13, 2025 at the Robins Center. Richmond used a 16-0 second-half run to rally before the Salukis forced overtime.
Argabright, then a freshman, took over in the extra period, scoring nine of his team-high 18 points as Richmond outscored Southern Illinois 19-10 in overtime. Six Spiders finished in double figures in the win.
Southern Illinois was led by Rolyns Aligbe's 19 points and 11 rebounds and Quel'Ron House's 17 points in last year's meeting. The Salukis outrebounded Richmond 48-29, but committed 22 turnovers that the Spiders converted into 26 points.
SCOUTING SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Southern Illinois enters Thursday 1-1 in its third season under head coach Scott Nagy. The Salukis opened with an 82-40 home victory over Maryville before falling 100-93 at Kansas City Friday. SIU was picked ninth in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll.
Sophomore guard Jalen Haynes has been one of the nation's most productive scorers through the opening week. Haynes is averaging 26.0 points per game while shooting 51.4% from the floor. He scored 20 in the opener before erupting for 32 points at Kansas City, the Salukis' first 30-point performance since March 2025.
Freshman guard Jeremiah Jackson is averaging 14.0 points and shooting 54.5% from 3-point range. Jackson was named Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week Monday after scoring 10 points with five assists against Maryville and following with 18 points and four 3-pointers at Kansas City.
SIU has averaged 87.5 points through two games while shooting 47.7% from the field and 38.7% from 3-point range. The Salukis are also averaging 39 rebounds and just nine turnovers per game.
ROAD STRETCH CONTINUES
Thursday is the second of five consecutive games away from the Robins Center for Richmond, the program's first stretch of five straight regular-season games away from home since November-December 2011.
Following the trip to Carbondale, Richmond will travel to Virginia Tech Monday before heading to White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., for the GoMart Greenbrier Tip-Off against Western Kentucky on Nov. 20 and Liberty on Nov. 22. The Spiders return to the Robins Center Nov. 25 against Bethune-Cookman.
A victory Thursday would make Richmond 4-0 for the second straight season and the fourth time under Mooney, improve the Spiders to 2-0 all-time against Southern Illinois and give UR a 3-0 record against Missouri Valley Conference opponents over the last two seasons. Richmond would also win consecutive games away from the Robins Center for the first time since victories at Fordham and St. Bonaventure last January.
