GAME NOTES: The Richmond Spiders have secured one of the four No. 1 seeds in the 2015 NIT, and they will open the event at home against the Terrier of St. Francis Brooklyn on Wednesday night.

The winner advances to face either Connecticut or Arizona State in the second round.

St. Francis (23-11, 15-3 NEC) is making its first NIT appearance since 1963 after winning the 2014-15 Northeast Conference's regular-season title. The Terriers won a pair of games in the NEC Tournament, but dropped a 66-63 decision to Robert Morris in the championship game to end their bid for what would have been their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.

Richmond is no stranger to playing beyond its conference tournament, as this marks the sixth postseason appearance in head coach Chris Mooney's 10-year tenure. The Spiders (19-13, ) are in the NIT for the eighth time in history, and they own a record of 6-7 overall, 5-4 at home. A 70-67 loss to VCU in the Atlantic 10 Conference quarterfinals put an end to the team's six-game winning streak to close out the regular season.

This bout marks the first meeting between these two schools in men's basketball.

Despite the presence of one of the NEC's top performers in Jalen Cannon, St. Francis is not what anyone would consider an offensive juggernaut. Cannon is one of the rare breed of players averaging a double-double, as he nets 16.4 ppg while pulling down 10.4 rpg, and he is a 52.2 percent shooter from the field, which if you took his production out of the equation would leave the Terriers in dire straights. As it is, the team is hitting its shots at just a 41.6 percent clip, doing very little damage from beyond the arc (.295) in the process. Brent Jones (13.9 ppg, 5.3 apg) is also a well-rounded player, as he wears a couple of different hats for a team that averages 68.9 ppg while allowing 64.1 ppg. With Cannon leading the way, the Terriers outwork their opponents on the glass to the tune of a +6.8 rebounding margin.

Richmond doesn't score a ton of points either, although there are four players netting double figures on a consistent basis. The Spiders, who generate 65.4 ppg in hitting 45.7 percent of their field goal attempts and 34.3 percent of their 3-point tries, rely almost exclusively on Kendall Anthony (16.6 ppg), Terry Allen (12.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg), T.J. Cline (11.4 ppg) and ShawnDre' Jones (10.2 ppg) to get the job done. Foes are connecting on only 41.9 percent of their total shots, which includes a 30.8 percent showing from the perimeter, but those same opponents are winning the rebounding battle rather handily (+5.5). They do however, turn the ball over 13.5 times per contest, often giving Richmond relatively easy baskets in transition.

The Terriers are sure to put forth a spirited effort, but the Spiders are probably the better all-around team, and are tough to beat at home.