ST. LOUIS - Richmond snapped Saint Louis University's nine-game home winning streak with a 70-62 win in Atlantic 10 Conference men's basketball action Sunday afternoon at Chaifetz Arena.
The loss dips SLU to 11-8 overall, 2-3 in the Atlantic 10. It is its first home loss since a 76-74 overtime loss against Kent State on Nov. 19. With the win, Richmond improves to 11-8 overall and 3-1 in league play.
Richmond's Justin Harper led four Spiders in double figures with 19 points, which came on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. The Spiders shot just 33 percent in the second half after nailing 61 percent of their shots in the first.
Kevin Lisch led SLU with 18 points, followed by 13 points from III. Willie Reed had nine points apiece.
The Billikens jumped out to an 8-2 advantage and forced a Richmond timeout four minutes into the contest. Paul Eckerle, who was starting for an injured Kwamain Mitchell, nailed a trey to begin the spurt. Lisch nailed another trey, then dished out a behind-the-back pass to Reed for a dunk to put the Billikens up 8-2.
But Richmond answered with 3-point buckets from Harper and Kevin Anderson to knot the score at 8-all with 14 minutes remaining in the first half. The lead would then change several times, with Richmond hanging in the game thanks to efficient 3-point shooting. The Spiders, who came into the contest second in the A-10 and 22nd in the nation in shooting percentage, hit six of their first eight 3-point tries.
UR took its first lead of the game at the 10:32 mark on a trey by Josh Duinker, but SLU answered with a Lisch lay in to regain the lead. With the score tied 18-18, Richmond went on a 14-3 run to gain control in the first half. A pair of Conklin free throws cut the rally, but Richmond scored the last basket of the half on a Harper put-back to take a 34-23 advantage into the break.
The Billikens sliced into their deficit to start the second half thanks to a Liddell fast-break basket. In addition, Liddell, Reed and Conklin all hit free throws to pull within seven points at 36-29 with 17:03 left in the tilt.
Following a Richmond basket by Harper, Lisch drove hard the hole and drew a foul. He converted on the traditional 3-point play to pull SLU to within six. But a 3-point field goal by Harper and a traditional 3-point play by Francis-Cedric Martel vaulted Richmond back to a double-digit lead with 13 minutes left in the game.
The Billikens would score their next nine points on the free-throw line. Conklin had the first five, and Reed nailed both ends of a one-and-one. Liddell then hit two to pull the Billikens to within seven points of the lead at 52-45 with 7:30 remaining.
Kyle Cassity broke the free-throw streak with a field goal at the seven-minute mark to make it 52-47 Richmond. But the Spiders answered with a Martel lay up, and Kevin Smith and Anderson both made a free throw to give UR a nine-point lead with six minutes left.
With under four minutes left to go in the game, the Billikens came to within five on a traditional 3-point play by Liddell. But Harper responded with a strong-driving bucket in the paint to put Richmond back up by seven at the final media timeout.
After a pair of Lisch free throws, Gonzalvez hit a big 3-pointer from the top of the key to stretch the Spider lead to 61-53 with 1:51 left. The squads traded buckets on the ensuing possessions, and a Liddell lay up put the Billikens within five at 64-59 with 40 seconds left.
A Lisch trey with 30 seconds left put the Billikens to within four points for the first time in the half, but Richmond hit 4-of-4 free throws down the stretch to seal the 70-62 victory.
The Billikens return to action Thursday, Jan. 29, when they travel to Dayton to take on the Flyers at 7 p.m. (CT).
