Richmond fall to Auburn

Well, Richmond’s dream of going 31-0 will have to settle for 30-1.  The Spiders were defeated by the Auburn Tigers in the Legends Classic Championship 79-65.  More importantly, we are extremely concerned for Grant Golden.  With 1:46 to play, he went down hard on his left ankle and had to be helped off the court.  On the bright side, after being helped off, he did begin to walk around and sat back on the bench.  This could potentially be a major hit for this squad if he has to miss some time.  Richmond struggled from the field, only knocking down two 3’s, both from Nick Sherod.  Early foul trouble sure did not help the Spiders chances of winning this already physically demanding matchup.  Grant Golden didn’t play much in the 1st half due to 2 early fouls.  Richmond had a tough time dealing with the physicality of this Auburn team.  Austin Wiley was a force for the Tigers down low, and Grant Golden gave him everything he had.

Shooting Woes

After sitting in the top 10 nationally for 3-point shooting, the Spiders really struggled from deep.  Nick Sherod hit the only two 3-pointers for the Spiders night, as they shot 2-18 collectively from beyond the arc.  Richmond shot 43.1% from the field as a whole, while outscoring Auburn in the paint, 46-42.  This was the first time Richmond had played anything close to a back-to-back all season.  The Spiders opened their year on a Friday, played Vanderbilt 6 days later, a 2 day layoff before C-SUN, and then a 5 day hiatus for McNeese State.  Richmond looked gassed towards the end of this one, which is expected during the early going.

What’s on deck for Richmond?

The Spiders will get a much deserved 3 day layoff before taking on another power-5 conference foe, in the Eagles from Boston College on Saturday at the Robins Center (2:30/NBCSN).  The main concern at this point will be the health of Grant Golden.  He will be vital to Richmond’s non-conference success, so we are hoping for nothing but the best.  We will be sure to give you the latest injury updates, as well as all things Richmond basketball.  Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter @A10Talk, as well as joining and becoming active on our forum on www.a10talk.com.  See you later Spider Nation!