Spiders Exit A-10 Tournament With Loss to Loyola

Wednesday, March 11

Pittsburgh, PA

2:00 PM

University of Richmond

15-17,5-13Atlantic 10

Loyola Chicago

9-23,4-14Atlantic 10

Loyola Chicago

Richmond

The Spiders in a huddle during a timeout

03/11/2026 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Postgame Press Conference

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Richmond struggled down the stretch, allowing Loyola Chicago to storm back for a 73-67 win in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship Wednesday at PPG Paints Arena. Pressure defense and a torrid shooting start allowed the Spiders to build a 15-point lead early in the second half, but the Ramblers outscored UR 37-14 in the game's final 13 minutes, including 9-0 in the final 90 seconds.

"We're pretty much a jump-shooting team," said Spiders coach Chris Mooney. "That can add to some inconsistency and that can add to some stretches where you pull away for a team or build a lead on a good run or it comes back."

Aiden Argabright, who was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team earlier in the day, led Richmond with 12 points and six assists, a career best and tied for the most assists by a Spider in a game this season.

"He might be one of the most talented people I've played with," said Spiders senior Mike Walz. "To see him do that at 19 years old, to have the poise and control of the offense, it's something I haven't seen out of a lot of guys who have come through here."

"We've had a few of these guards who have been so good, and I'd put his freshman year up there with all of them," said Mooney of Argabright. "He's also the best guy in our drills. He's very good in the weight room. He's a good student. So he's really a great Spider. His upside is really, really high, and it's important for us now to do everything we can to make sure that he stays at Richmond."

Three other Spiders finished with 10 points: Will Johnston, Collin Tanner, and Mike Walz. Mikkel Tyne added nine points and a team-high four rebounds.

"It's a tough way to go out, but I'm glad I did it here," said Walz, one of only a handful of A-10 men's basketball players this season to use all of his eligibility at one school.

"He's great. Richmond couldn't have a better person representing us," said Mooney of Walz. "He's pretty special and we appreciate everything that he's done for us."

The Spiders made 11 of their first 15 shots from the field but went just 12 of 44 (27%) over the final 28:30 of the game. Richmond's falloff was especially acute from three-point range, as UR missed its final eight three-point attempts and 13 of its last 14 shots from deep.

Loyola, on the other hand, hit its final four three-point attempts, all in the game's final five minutes. And the Ramblers were even better inside the arc, as Loyola finished 12-15 (80%) on two-point field goal attempts.

"Down the stretch, I felt like they were getting pretty easy twos at the rim. That falls on all five of us on the court," said Walz. "We could have executed better down the stretch as a group."

Richmond finished 14-29 from two-point range and shot just 39% for the game (23-59).

"It's just harder for us to get two-point shots this season," said Mooney. "We're probably a little bit too dependent on jump-shooting."

With the loss, Richmond finishes the season at 15-17 overall.

"We'll get back to work as soon as we land in Richmond and try to have a better team and a team that closes and all those kinds of things for next year."