Final Score: University of Richmond- 46, Saint Louis University- 56
What Happened: Richmond stages a nice late-game comeback, but it was too little, too late, as Saint Louis made its free throws and quickly tightened up its defensive effort. The Spiders shot under 25 percent from the field, including a disappointing 3-15 from 3-point range. The 46-point effort is the lowest of the season for the Spiders, though it's not necessarily surprising given Saint Louis's reputation as a defensive juggernaut coming into the game. Richmond junior forward Derrick Williams logged 15 minutes for the Spiders after missing the previous nine games with a leg injury, but his presence didn't help much underneath, as the Billikens outrebounded the Spiders, 42-28, and outscored UR in the paint, 32-10. This game can really be expressed well from UR's perspective by looking at the combined stat lines of its best shooters Darien Brothers and Kendall Anthony (combined 2-12, 1-7 from 3-point range, 10 points). When those two aren't hitting shots, the Spiders rarely come out on top.
Spider Positives: It's obviously encouraging to see Williams back out on the court in any capacity, even though he didn't necessarily make a big impact in this game. Also, guard Cedrick Lindsay had one of his best games of the season while all his teammates were struggling, finishing with a game-high 20 points, the only Spider in double figures. Richmond's defense was also a bright spot, forcing 20 SLU turnovers.
Spider Negatives: This game just serves as further proof that Richmond needs to get bigger down low to compete in the Atlantic 10 in years to come. Whether that comes from recruiting or working in the offseason to add muscle to the guys it already has, UR coach Chris Mooney will need to address that in the offseason because the Spiders can't always rely on making a bunch of 3-pointers to win games.
Up Next: Richmond heads to Philadelphia, Pa., to face St. Joe's on the road Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
Contact staff writer David Weissman at david.weissman@richmond.edu
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