In an energy crisis, Richmond needs to flip the switch

The University of Richmond suffered a massive energy crisis this past weekend.

No, the breaker box didn't explode in LoRo because of too many blow-dryers or straighteners. No, Dennis Hall didn't run out of water because of an influx of swirlies. Something zapped all of the life and energy from the Robins Center at about 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

If you attended the Richmond men's basketball game against Xavier University, then you saw a highly anticipated Atlantic-10 conference match-up, which was featured on ESPN2. According to writers for espn.com, "The winner has the inside track on the title, while the loser is still in the chase and in contention for an at-large berth."

Sounds like this was a recipe for an electrifying game showcasing some of college basketball's best players. Our own Kevin Anderson, a finalist for zillions of awards and reigning A-10 player of the year, was pitted against Xavier's Tu Holloway and entered the game averaging 21.1 points per game. This was supposed to be a true test for the conference's best guards. And don't forget about Richmond forward Justin Harper, who has had stellar games recently, scoring more than 20 points in four of the past seven games for the Spiders.

Well, the first half of the game began exactly how a "red-out," nationally televised game was supposed to: The Spiders started strong and held a lead until about midway through the first half. Then Xavier began to take control.

During the scoring spurts for Richmond, the crowd responded and kept the energy high. But one call from the referee, or a missed shot or a silly turnover and the crowd went quiet. So quiet at times, it was eerie. It also didn't help that Xavier made several quick shots to close out the first half.

Fans remained hopeful for a strong start to the second half. Richmond gained more momentum for a comeback with 16:20 remaining in the game, but that would be the closest the Spiders would get to the Musketeers' coattails.

It was during the second half when the mysterious force sucked the life and energy from the crowd and the players. Senior forward Kevin Smith, the spark plug to the team, was in foul trouble and the crowd's energetic lifeline had to take a seat on the bench. Perhaps the catalyst for the energy shift was the technical foul on Smith for talking back to the referee. A questionable call, if I do say so myself: How is it that Xavier had 30 foul shot attempts, including the technical foul shots? Something smells fishy, and I don't think it was Xavier's Friday fish dinner.

From that moment on, the game took a ghostly, lackluster turn. I'm not bashing the men's team for its lack of energy, because it certainly was a frustrating game. The intense pressure by Xavier's zone defense forced a lot of 3-point shots, foul trouble plagued many Richmond players, and coupled with Holloway's 100 percent free throw shooting, that is a recipe for frustration.

It was not that the Richmond team lacked heart or energy. Energy and heart are two things you cannot practice. They are innate skills and qualities that just about every athlete possesses. Yet somehow when the team came back out after halftime, it was as if Xavier fans performed some voodoo on the Spiders, stole their energy and gave that mojo to the visitors.

This may all sound like a bunch of hocus pocus, but energy is a key ingredient for success in college basketball. Once a power surge happens for the opposing team, the home team needs to work that much harder to re-establish its control over the switchboard. Richmond simply cannot rely on one player, namely Smith, for energy. The team needs to find another power source from within.

Richmond was not the only team in college basketball that suffered a flip of the switch. Duke University -- whether you love it or hate it -- is historically an exceptional college basketball program. Yet the Blue Devils lost to St. John's University 93-78 on Saturday. Duke entered Saturday's game ranked No. 3 in the nation, and had only lost to Florida State University. St. John's, on the other hand, was 11-8.

Legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, said: "It's not an Xs or Os thing today. I felt we were not ready to compete, we had blank expressions on our faces and guys weren't talking and that's my responsibility."

The intangibles make or break a college basketball game. Richmond did not lose because it could not compete with Xavier. Richmond lost because of a lack of energy. That energy stems from easy buckets, creating turnovers and crowd energy. Energy is a precious and often fickle entity in sports. When you have it, it is as if you are invincible. But it can be zapped instantaneously after a great play by the other team.

Richmond showed spectacular energy against the University of Dayton ... hello Darrius Garrett's slam dunk in transition after an Anderson steal and Smith pass ... it made the No. 7 spot on SportsCenter, NBD.

I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed I didn't see that kind of energy when there was an 8,514 home crowd, but I understand how an uncontrollable, mysterious and fickle force, energy, was not in our favor despite all of the favorable factors. I am confident that the men's team will rebound as the season progresses and each conference game becomes that much more crucial.

Friends asked me whether I think Richmond will still be able to make it to the NCAA tournament. Though it is still too soon to tell, I told them I thought we still had a great shot if the team could buckle down and show commentators and analysts that Richmond basketball suffered a minor energy glitch. They should be back on the NCAA switchboard if they can win the next three games before their second ESPN2 appearance against St. Louis Feb. 12. Let's hope that the team has its bag o' lucky charms to ward off the evil energy-zapping spirits as Richmond enters the February Frenzy before March Madness.

Contact staff writer Amelia Vogler at amelia.vogler@richmond.edu