She couldn't believe her eyes.
"I noticed they were sitting, and I didn't like that,"the fiery Richards said.
So she raised her arms and gave them her patented, wide-open mouth yell. After all, she especially doesn't like fans sitting during a tight game with just minutes remaining. She needs their energy.
"That helps me play better,"she said."I look at them to get me going and to get the team going."
Energized, Richards lit it up.
The burst of energy she showed against Emporia State of Kansas in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight semifinals on Thursday night was one of the most impressive spurts in the history of Sioux women's basketball. For sure, there's been no greater spurt in a bigger game.
In a span of 1:35, she scored 10 points. In a span of 4:08, she scored 14 points.
Katie killed the pesky Hornets.
"We drove all the way from Arizona,"grandfather Loren Richards said afterward."Twelve hundred miles, just to see this."
Was it worth it?"Oh, yes, definitely,"he said.
Some Sioux fans who drove here all the way from Grand Forks were probably saying the same after watching Richards lift her team to the 87-81 UND victory over Emporia. She had a similar spurt against North Dakota State in the North Central Region final, but even coach Gene Roebuck says her latest was the best.
"There's no stopping me now,"Richards said of her mindset during the stretch.
No way.
UND and Emporia State had fought tooth-and-nail for more than 33 minutes before Richards carried the Sioux on her back. With 6:46 left, she hit a 3-pointer for a 66-66 tie. With 6:15 left, she hit another 3-pointer for a 71-69 Sioux lead. With 5:51 left, she finished a with a driving layup for a 73-71 lead.
Bing. Bing. Bing. Bing. But Emporia State still wasn't finished.
So, with 3:07 left, Richards hit a 3-pointer for a 79-75 lead. With 2:38 left, she hit 1 of 2 free throws for an 80-77 lead. She never scored again, but the damage was done.
"Katie just basically did what she did in the regional championship,"Roebuck said."She took over the game for that period. ... That spurt we had really gave us confidence, too."
Richards fouled out with 1:38 left and UND leading 82-79. From there, sophomore guard Tonia Jones of Thompson, N.D., took over the offensive load, hitting two free throws with 1:08 left for an 84-81 lead for her third and fourth points in a span of 46 seconds.
That wasn't all Jones did. She played stout defense on Emporia State standout Jurgita Kausaite.
"I think Tonia's defense on Kausaite boosted us,"Richards said.
And Richards' offensive spurt provided a lift, too.
"I've got ulcers,"grandfather Loren Richards told his granddaughter after watching the intense, back-and-forth thriller.
Richards was in foul trouble throughout the second half. She was on the bench with four fouls until Roebuck sent her back in with 7:58 left. UND wasn't playing well offensively, and it needed a lift. Former UND men's player Solomon Ayinla used to be known as the"lift guy."Richards is becoming the"lift gal."
"With four fouls and a tie game, I'm taking a gamble,"Roebuck said."I just sensed that the momentum was not going our way. I needed to put Katie back in the game."
Anybody who knows Richards, knows why. As her grandfather Bun Satrom said after the game, she might not play well all the time, but she plays well in big games most of the time.
She left the final 1:38 up to her teammates.
"I told them to do it,"Richards said,"because I can't help them out. That's the worst position to be in, but they did it."
Just like their big-game leader.
"For a stretch,"Roebuck said."She was phenomenal. But she still has another year, so I might see more."
And another game. The Sioux and Richards will play for their third straight national title on Saturday afternoon on ESPN2. The network can only hope for similar intensity and drama.
"We kept you on the edge of your seats," Sioux center Jenny Crouse said.
And Richards made Sioux fans come out of their seats.