Spiders use 10 three pointers to down St. Joseph’s

Trey Davis had a career night, and six different Spiders poured in a combined ten 3-pointers to help push Richmond over the edge against the Hawks of St. Joseph’s, 77-62, Saturday evening at the Robins Center.

January 26, 2014; 10:54 AM • by Adam Williams

Recap

The question on everyone’s minds in a sold out Robins Center for Saturday’s matchup against St. Joseph’s (13-6, 3-2) was whether Richmond’s upset win over #13 UMASS on Wednesday night would catapult them headlong into the toughest stretch of their conference schedule, or if it would create a dreaded hangover effect. It didn’t take too long to find the answer.

After a contested and close first half, which saw the Spiders hit seven 3-pointers, Richmond exploded out of the locker room and would lead the Hawks by as much as nineteen before the final horn sounded at 77-62. The entirety of Saturday’s game looked more like the second half of Wednesday’s win over UMASS: an inspired team effort that saw a balanced scoring attack and cutthroat defense on the other end. Kendall Anthony, on the heels of his unbelievable performance Wednesday night, led the way at the half with ten points while Trey Davis and Cedrick Lindsay both had seven. In all, seven Spiders would score throughout the first twenty minutes of the ballgame while holding St. Joe’s to just 38% shooting (14% from 3-point range).

Five Spiders scored in double-digit scoring, while Trey Davis notched the highest scoring total of his career and his first ever double-double (14 PTS, 12 REBS). Anthony finished with nineteen points (6-13 FG, 3-9 3FG, 4-4 FT), Lindsay with sixteen (3-6 FG, 1-2 3FG, 9-13 FT), Deion Taylor with eleven (4-5 FG, 2-2 3FG), and Terry Allen with ten (4-7 FG, 2-3 3FG).

Top performer: Trey Davis

The energy and athleticism Trey Davis brings to this Spiders squad is invaluable, and Saturday’s win over St. Joseph’s showed just that. What the box score doesn’t convey, alongside of Davis’s fourteen points and twelve rebounds, are the hustle plays—diving after loose balls, never giving up on a play after a turnover, deflecting offensive rebounds back out for a fresh 35—the plays in the middle of which you’ll usually find Trey Davis. He unquestionably has the highest vertical leap on the team, is neck-and-neck with Kendall Anthony in terms of speed, and any time he has the ball in the open court with a full head of team, you’d better get your camera ready.

Looking forward

Fortunately, Richmond refused to look ahead to what awaits them this upcoming week, preventing St. Joe’s from stealing one on the road and deflating what seems like a momentous stretch of the Spiders’ season. However, Cedrick Lindsay, Kendall Anthony, and crew face arguably their toughest week yet as they head to #19 St. Louis to face their second nationally-ranked opponent in three games.

The Billikens of St. Louis lead the Atlantic 10 at 18-2 (5-0), and their only losses this season have come at the hands of #9 Wisconsin (63-57) and #5 Wichita State (70-65). Tipoff is at 8:00 PM and can be head locally on ESPN 950. Saturday, the Spiders head across town to the Siegel Center to renew the Bank of America Capital City Classic against the VCU Rams at 12:00 PM.