Xavier knocks off Richmond

By: Times-Dispatch Staff | From staff reports
Published: February 25, 2012

The University of Richmond didn't score during the opening 11:27 Saturday night at Xavier, which led 16-0. An impressive Spiders' surge allowed them to go ahead for a couple of minutes in the second half, but the Musketeers finished strong in a 65-57 Atlantic 10 Conference win at the Cintas Center.

Richmond (15-15, 6-9 A-10) rode the shooting of junior guard Darien Brothers and upgraded defense to a 40-37 lead with 12 minutes left in the game. Xavier's Kenny Frease (19 points, 14 rebounds), a 7-foot senior, collected two key offensive rebounds during the last 1:12, during which the Musketeers (18-10, 9-5) sealed it with free throws.

"I'm really proud of how hard we fought. It's a not an easy thing to come in and be down 16-0," said UR coach Chris Mooney. "We were doing things to put ourselves in that position, but to respond and to continue to fight and battle and get back in the game and get the lead, all of those things are impressive traits for us."

Xavier grabbed 19 offensive rebounds, beat UR 41-24 on the boards, and fed Frease inside as 6-9 Spider Darrius Garrett and 6-6, 275-pound Derrick Williams experienced foul trouble. The Musketeers scored 40 points in the lane, and had 11 second-chance points.

"Not only is (Frease) so big, but he has a touch around the rim and can score," Mooney said. "No question about it, he was the difference in the game, right up until the end."

Brothers scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half, which the Spiders started down 25-22. They trailed 57-54 with 1:12 left, and Frease halted UR's momentum with offensive rebounds that led to Xavier free throws.

Richmond held its previous two opponents to 52 points (Charlotte) and 49 points (Saint Joseph's) in wins. But Xavier scored easily and quickly inside to start the evening, making four of its first five shots to lead 8-0. Then the Musketeers' defense rattled the Spiders, causing turnovers.

By the time Richmond was behind 16-0, it had missed 10 shots and had committed nine turnovers. The Spiders got on the scoreboard when Williams hit a 3-pointer with 8:33 left in the first half.

"I thought we played with a lot of toughness and a lot of grit the rest of the way," said Mooney.

UR came back with better defense and ball control, and found offensive rhythm behind freshman guard Kendall Anthony (10 points) and Brothers. The Spiders finished the first half on a 22-9 run to trail at the break by three.

Xavier was the preseason pick to win the A-10, and on the preseason all-league teams had three of the top 10 players (guard Tu Holloway, guard Mark Lyons, and Frease). The Musketeers started 8-0 with some quality victories, but a brawl at the end of their Dec. 10 win over Cincinnati resulted in multiple suspensions for varying lengths. XU seemed to be thrown off track, and continues to try to recapture the early-season chemistry and confidence that helped it beat Georgia, Vanderbilt, and Purdue.

The Musketeers had lost three of their last five before Richmond's visit to the Cintas Center, where XU is 12-3 this season and 161-21 overall.

The Spiders' final game of the regular season is Wednesday at 7 p.m. against visiting Dayton (18-10, 8-6). UR will salute seniors Garrett, Francis-Cedric Martel, Josh Duinker, Conor Smith, and Zak Estes.