Spider storm

Our photographer was courtside — and lost a shoe — when students stormed the court after men’s basketball upset No. 16 Dayton in a packed Robins Center Jan. 27. It was one of the team’s key steps toward clinching the program’s first-ever Atlantic 10 regular season title.

When the game ended, I watched from row Q as gleeful students ran onto the court. They had been great all game. They were so loud — the decibel meter on my companion’s smartwatch kept popping over 100 in the second half. And they filled the student section seats, the upper steps, and the standing-room-only walkways near the rafters. It was no surprise when they flooded onto the court at the final buzzer. The Robins Center is our house.

What I didn’t see was the unfortunate ordeal of university photographer Jamie Betts. He was courtside. The flood of students swept him up, literally lifting him up and carrying him onto the court as Robins security staff ably cordoned off the teams’ postgame handshake line. By the time Betts’ feet touched the hardwood again, he had lost his right shoe. But he’s a pro, so he kept taking photos.

His shoe has been missing ever since.

Are Spiders sometimes overzealous in expressing love for Richmond? Sure. Do we apologize for it? Absolutely not.