By Matt Leon

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — St. Joseph’s University got back on the winning track Wednesday night, hammering Fordham University at Hagan Arena, 80-62.

The Hawks were led in that one by Langston Galloway (photo).  The sophomore guard was brilliant, tying his career high with 30 points, which included a 7-for-9 performance from behind the arc.

St. Joe’s head coach Phil Martelli says Galloway’s hard work in practice made this explosion possible.

“I kind of anticipated that we would see the real Langston Galloway,” Martelli tells KYW Newsradio.  “Last week we didn’t.  Monday and Tuesday, in practice, he was really grinding and working and preparing, so that when these opportunities arose against Fordham, he would be ready.  So he deserves a lot of credit for how hard he worked.”

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The win against the Rams improved St. Joe’s record to 12-5 on the season (2-1 in the Atlantic 10).  Much of that success has come at Hagan Arena, where the Hawks are 8-1.

Now the Hawks get the chance to show they can win some key games on the road, as they start a three-game run away from home, on Saturday afternoon at UMass.

“Separation (in the standings) in a really, really packed and really, really competitive Atlantic 10 is going to be teams that get road victories,” Martelli says.

The Minutemen are tough this season, especially at home, where they are a perfect 9-0.  Success in Amherst?

“They are longer than we are,” Martelli says.  “They really shot-challenge a lot, they pressure a lot.  We’re going to really have to take care of the ball.  Kind of an under-the-radar stat from our Fordham game is that we had five turnovers.  We had none in the second half until the last 30 seconds of the game.  So, care of the ball is going to be very, very important.”

St. Joe’s and UMass will tip off at 4:00pm on Saturday.   After UMass, the Hawks will visit Xavier and then Penn.

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“Very disappointing, because I thought we outplayed these guys for the majority of the game,” said Duquesne head coach Ron Everhart.

The night was a tale of two halves in the Atlantic 10 opener. With Duquesne’s second leading scorer and leading rebounder, B.J. Monteiro out with a hand injury, the obvious conclusion was that someone else needed to step up. Although sophomore T.J. McConnell chose to be that guy, his complete performance wasn’t enough. He had a career high 28 points, 19 coming in the first half, on 10 of 16 shooting, going 5 of 6 from beyond the arc, grabbed four rebounds and dished five assists.

The Dukes (9-6) held St. Joe’s (11-4) to just 27 points on 36 percent shooting in the first half, including holding the A-10’s leading scorer, junior guard Carl Jones, to just six.  Duquesne went 7 of 11 from beyond the arc and out-rebounded them 19 to 17.

“I told them at halftime that I didn’t know who they were.  I didn’t recognize anything that we did in the first half…forget the Xs and O’s, we had a guy step in on a free throw, we had guys bang into each other on a layup. I just told them at the end of the game, whatever they did today can’t be repeated, because road wins are like gold and the stars were aligned for us,” St. Joe’s head coach Phil Martelli said.

Duquesne would have loved the story continue on in the second half as it did in the first, but St. Joes changed the script, making sure their first-half play stayed there. The Dukes’ defensive intensity was gone, while Jones and sophomore guard Langston Galloway combined for 29 of their 37 points for the Hawks in the second.  Jones found his rhythm getting to the hole and pulling up, including his fadeaway with six seconds that sent the game to overtime, while Galloway got hot with his jumper. Galloway finished with 19 points and six assists, while Jones finished with 18 and four.

“We didn’t guard anyone from the 15-minute point on.  You just have to practice the next day, and guard people. We have to get ready for St. Bonaventure, because if we don’t guard them, they’re going to make us pay as well,” said McConnell.

After two back-to-back three’s from freshman Kadeem Pantophlet and a pair of free throws from sophomore guard Mike Talley that put the Dukes up 62-46, SJU went on a 15-2 run with just under 10 minutes in the game. A jumper and a three from McConnell stretched the lead back to eight for the Dukes, but Jones answered with a three of his own.

Junior guard Sean Johnson, who scored 12 of his 17 points in the last 14 minutes of regulation, missed 2 of 4 free throws within the last minute.  The game went into overtime after Johnson didn’t finish on his drive to the hole.

In overtime SJU led 84-82, with the Dukes’ gaining possession with 30 seconds left after a defensive rebound by Pantophlet.  The Dukes played through and senior guard Eric Evans got a good look to lay it in a few feet from the hoop, but it didn’t fall.

With the Hawks bigger lineup in the last half of the game, Duquesne had some trouble contesting in the paint and on the perimeter, had big men Jerry Jones, Mamadou Datt and Andre Marhold in foul trouble, and were out-rebounded 25 to 11.

“I think that we stayed with it.  It wasn’t a system, it wasn’t a stylistic win, but it’s a road win and they’re invaluable,” said Martelli whose team is now 2-3 on the road.

Saint Joseph’s shot more than 20 percent better in the second half, including 62.5 percent from beyond the arc and improved their foul shot percentage from 45 percent in the first to nearly 77 percent in the second.

The fourth youngest team in the nation had five players finish in double-digit scoring tonight.  SJU had two guys finish with double-doubles, leading rebounder Halil Kanacevic with 11 points and 15 rebounds, and Ronald Roberts with 13 and 10.  Sophomore C.J. Aiken, who’s ranked second in the county with 4.2 blocks per game, had nine total blocks; more than both teams combined.  Aiken also finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.

Pantophlet finished with 11 points and six boards for the Dukes, while Talley added nine points and four assists.

In case you wanted to know…

• The Dukes play St. Bonaventure (8-5) at home on Saturday, Jan. 7^th at 4PM.

• T.J. McConnell is tied for first in the nation in steals per game with 3.1.

• Ron Everhart has started 6 different lineups in the past 6 games.

• B.J. Monteiro could miss up to 3 more games with stitches in his hand.  He was the 35th Duke to be added to the “1000-Point Club” when he had 24 points in their win over Houston Baptist on New Year’s Eve.

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The Hawks blew an 11-point lead in the closing 10½ minutes and lost 74-69 to No. 24 Harvard on Saturday following an incredible first half of shooting that put them in position to come away with season-building victory.

“We lost. Nothing, really, we lost,” said guard Carl Jones, who led Saint Joseph’s with 22 points. “There’s nothing that really could come out of the game — maybe just learning how to hold a lead.”

Saint Joseph’s missed just five shots in the first half (19 of 24) and was able to hit only eight of 27 in the second.

The Hawks seemed like they were in control until Harvard started making defensive stops and nailing key shots at the other end of the court.

“We’re not good enough — plain and simple,” coach Phil Martelli said. “What we did wasn’t good enough. Nine of 16 from the foul line, two guys in double figures, it’s not good enough. I’ve been honest with this team. We’re inching up on being good, but we’re not there yet, and this is another indication that we’re not there yet.”

Kyle Casey scored 7 of his 26 points in the closing 4:25 as Harvard completed the comeback. Keith Wright added 16 and five rebounds, and Casey had 10 rebounds for the Crimson (12-1).

Langston Galloway added 15 points for the Hawks (10-4). Saint Joseph’s had a five-game winning streak snapped.

It was Harvard’s first home game ever as a ranked team.

With the Crimson trailing 68-67, Brandyn Curry hit a running one-hander in the lane to push Harvard ahead for the first time since the game’s opening 2½ minutes.

After a missed jumper by Jones, Casey nailed a 3 from the right wing on the next possession, making it 72-68 with 39.3 seconds left.

Harvard sealed it with two free throws by Laurent Rivard with 18 seconds left.

Harvard, which trailed by 11 points with 10:49 to go after Halil Kanacevic’s basket for the Hawks, sliced it 66-65 on Casey’s basket with 4:25 left. He was fouled on the play, but missed the free throw.

After Galloway missed a jumper, Harvard had a chance to take the lead for the first time since early in the game, but Jones had a steal and breakaway layup.

Casey then nailed a jumper, closing it to 68-67 with 2:48 left.

The Hawks led by 10 points at halftime and pushed it to 53-42 on Jones’ free throw with 18:14 to play. The Crimson cut it to seven points twice in the next 3 minutes, but Saint Joseph’s continued to hold them off, maintaining a comfortable margin before Galloway’s foul-line jumper pushed it back to double digits, 61-50, with 10:49 to go.

But the Crimson kept hanging close until they made a run.

In the first half, Saint Joseph’s started shooting exceptionally well and hardly cooled down, hitting 79.2 percent (19 of 24) en route to its 48-38 halftime lead.

The Hawks connected on 10 of their first 11 from the field, including two from behind the 3-point line, to open a 22-13 lead.

After a miss, they connected on their next two possessions and pushed it to double digits when Galloway nailed a 3 from the left wing and Ronald Roberts Jr. hit a short jumper in the lane, making it 27-13 with 11:11 to play in the half.

The Crimson had trouble matching up defensively as the Hawks players appeared to be driving the ball past defenders nearly whenever they needed to, setting up easy shots in the lane or feeding outside for mostly wide-open jumpers.

But Harvard, which trailed by double digits in the first half of a 21-point win over Boston College on Thursday, started to get going offensively and cut the gap to 32-28 by scoring 15 of the next 20 points. The Crimson relied on the inside scoring of Wright, who had six points in the lane, while Casey and Oliver McNally made 3s during the spree.

Saint Joseph’s pushed its lead to 46-33 on Jones’ 3 from the right wing, but Harvard closed it to 10 at halftime when McNally hit a 3 that bounced around before falling in at the buzzer.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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By Matt Noonan 

CAMBRIDGE, MA – Ending the calendar year with a victory was certainly something the Harvard University’s men’s basketball team wanted to do, as they rallied to beat St. Joe’s on Saturday afternoon, 74-69.

“What a gutsy win by our team against an outstanding basketball team,” said Harvard University head coach Tommy Amaker. “I told our kids that this is a preview of maybe something we’ll see a lot of [for the remainder of the season].”

The victory wasn’t exactly the prettiest, especially since Harvard relinquished a four point lead early in the first half, and allowed the Hawks to tally an 11-5 run, which eventually ballooned to a 14 point lead.

St. Joe’s finished the first 20-minute period by recording 19-of-24 shots from the field, which contained six three-pointers by sophomores C.J. Aiken and Langston Galloway, and junior Carl Jones, (22 points, five assists, and three rebounds).

“They’re an explosive offensive team,” said Amaker. “They’re extremely quick. They’re shifty with the ball, they’re crafty off the bounce, but then they obviously can make shots off the pass, and off the bounce, [as well as] get to the basket, [too]. They’re a handful. ”

Harvard recovered from their lackluster start, and ended the half by taking advantage of a few St. Joe’s miscues, a missed free throw by Galloway and travel by Aiken, which set up a dramatic three-point basket by senior co-captain Oliver McNally as the buzzer sounded.

The Crimson built off their dramatic first half ending immediately once the second half started, as junior Kyle Casey, (26 points, 10 rebounds), sparked a second half rally, which featured Harvard outscoring St. Joe’s, 36-21.

“Kyle was tremendous,” said Amaker. “He carried us offensively and was a presence for us, and he has the athleticism to make plays against a team like [St. Joe’s, who’s] very athletic. And we needed that.”

Casey recorded 17 points and seven rebounds in the second half, but his biggest moment of the contest came with two minutes remaining, as he secured a critical defensive rebound, which set up Curry’s go-ahead lay-up to secure Harvard’s second lead of the game, and eventually their 12^th win.

“We’re a veteran team, and we’ve been in situations like that before,” said Casey, when asked to describe his team’s composure. “We knew that we had to really dig in, and just kind of grind this one out, and I think that’s what we do.”

Harvard will have very little time to enjoy this exciting victory, as they’ll head to Fordham on Tuesday, Jan. 3 for 7:00pm tip-off, while St. Joe’s will head to Duquesne on Wednesday, Jan. 4.

GAME NOTES:

* The Crimson have won 21 straight games at home, which is the ninth longest streak in the country

* Saturday’s meeting marked the second time the Crimson and Hawks met on a basketball court, and now, the series is tied, 1-1. The Hawks last beat the Crimson during the ’98-’99 season, 87-69. Harvard is now 19-36 against current Atlantic-10 teams.

* Finally, Harvard’s 12^th victory of the season marked their 1,001^st program win.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — CJ Aiken scored 20 points as Saint Joseph’s University defeated Coppin State, 81-72, on Wednesday night, tying coach Phil Martelli for the most victories in school history.
Langston Galloway added 18 points, Carl Jones had 16, and Daryus Quarles had 10 for the Hawks (9-3), who won their fourth consecutive game.

Akeem Ellis and Tony Gallo scored 21 each to pace the Eagles (4-7), who took their only lead, 23-22, on Ellis’ three-pointer 7:29 before halftime.

Aiken scored on dunks the next three St. Joe’s possessions to put the Hawks ahead to stay, although Coppin State never trailed by more than 15 points.

Halil Kanacevic had seven points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and four of the eight blocked shots by St. Joe’s, which came in third in the NCAA in blocked shots, at 8.1 per game.

Martelli’s record in 17 seasons at Saint Joseph’s reached 308-212, matching Bill Ferguson’s win total from 1928 through 1953.

    (Copyright 2011 by the Associated Press.  All rights reserved.)

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Men’s Player of the Week

Elias Harris (Gonzaga, Jr., F, 6-7, Speyer, Germany)

18.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 16-22 FG, 4-5 3PTFG, 1-1 FT; Season high 25 points in important win over Arizona, third double-double of season in win over Oral Roberts; WCC player of the week as Bulldogs finish 2-0 week

Men’s Honor Roll

Darius Conley (Saint Peter’s, Jr., F, 6-7, Newport News, VA)

23 points, 5 rebs., 6 blocks, 10-16 FG, 3-4 FT; Career highs in scoring and blocks as Peacocks drop only game of the week

Justin Drummond (Loyola Maryland, So., G, 6-4, Bowie, MD)

26 points, 5 rebs., 2 steals, 10-19 FG, 2-2 3PTFG, 4-4 FT; Career high in scoring, with 16 in the second half, as he led Greyhounds in a rally that fell short in their only action of the week

Kevin Foster (Santa Clara, Jr., G, 6-2, Katy, TX)

20.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.5 spg, 15-34 FG, 10-23 3PTFG; Scored 26 pts. as Broncos beat Pacific in OT to cap a 2-0 week, sank three-pointer with 21 seconds in regulation to force OT and then another to open OT to give SCU lead it never relinquished

Langston Galloway (Saint Joseph’s, So., G, 6-2, Baton Rouge, LA)

20 points, 3 rebs., 6 assists, 8-13 FG, 3-3 3PTFG, 1-1 FT; Led Hawks to big rivalry win over Villanova in only game of week, Atlantic 10 co-player of week, SJU now 8-3, reached eight wins last season on 2/26

Chris Gaston (Fordham, Jr., F, 6-7, Union City, NY)

13.5 ppg, 14.5 rpg., 1.5 bpg, 12-31 FT, 3-5 FT; Produced 7th and 8th double-doubles of season as Rams split a pair of games, double figures in rebounding in 8 of 10 games

Corey Gray (Loyola New Orleans, Sr., G, 5-10, Greenwood, IN)

23 points , 9 rebs., 4 assists, 2 steals, 6-19 FG, 3-11 3PTFG, 8-8 FT; Guided Wolfpack over big win over ranked Xavier-La. in 3OT, scored game-tying basket at end of regulation and then 12 in OTs, including seven in 3rd OT

Josiah Heath (Canisius, Fr. F, 6-9, Rochester, NY)

11.0 ppg, 16.5 rpg., 3.0 bpg, 6-10 FG, 11-11 FT; Set school freshman record with 18 rebounds vs. UMKC, MAAC rookie of the week as Griffs go 1-1

Lonnie Jackson (Boston College, Fr., G, 6-3, Valencia, CA)

26 points, 5 rebs., 8-13 FG, 7-11 3PTFG, 3-4 FT; ACC rookie of the week as Eagles win only game of the week behind his career high in scoring, first BC player with seven three-pointers since 3/1/08

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Langston Galloway scored a career-high 30 points to lead Saint Joseph’s University to a 75-68 win over Boston University on Wednesday night.
Galloway shot nine for 14 from the field, while making a career-best six of eight three-pointers.  His last one came with 2:11 to play, after BU had cut the deficit to 66-61.

The Hawks (6-3) closed out the game six for 11 from the foul line.

Junior Carl Jones became the 48th Saint Joe’s player to reach 1,000 points when he hit a jumper with two seconds to go in the first half.  Jones finished with 13, for 1,007 career points.

The Terriers (4-5) were led by Darryl Partin with 24 points.

The Hawks used a 10-0 run in the final 3:45 of the first half to lead 40-28 at the break.
CJ Aiken, the nation’s leader in blocked shots with a 5.0 average, added five for Saint Joe’s.

    (Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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Aiken, who tied his career-high in blocks, helped the Hawks set a school record with 16 rejections. That breaks the old record of 12 set against Cleveland State on December 2, 1987.

Halil Kanacevik added 12 points, while Langston Galloway and Carl Jones each had 11 for the Hawks (5-2).
Trailing 18-16, St. Joe’s broke it open with a 12-0 run, capped by Aiken’s jumper with 1:36 to play in the first half.

The Hawks largest advantage was 17 points, and the lead never dipped below double digits in the final 16 minutes of the game.

Drexel started off slowly, making only eight of 28 field goal attempts in the first half. The Dragons (2-3) ended the night shooting 31.3 percent (20 of 64).

Damion Lee led Drexel with 14 points.

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(Copyright 2011 by the Associated Press.  All rights reserved.)

The Hawks scored the first 22 points of the game, with Galloway scoring nine, and led 33-13 at halftime.

Galloway made 5 of 11 field goal attempts for the game while C.J. Aiken, who scored 14 points, was 6 of 8.

The largest lead for St. Jospeh’s was 28 points at 38-10 after Halil Kanacevik hit a layup with 18:25 remaining in the game. The lead never dropped below 17 points the rest of the way.

Penn State struggled from the field, especially in the first half. The Nittany Lions (5-2) made only 4 of 38 field goal attempts in the first half and hit 26.8 percent (19 of 71) for the game.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Jones, the Hawks’ high-scoring guard, scored his team’s final eight points in a 79-75 victory that earned them third place in the eight-team Charleston Classic. His final two buckets, both with the Hawks (3-1) clinging to a two-point lead, came over Tulsa center Steven Idlet, at 6-foot-11 a full foot taller than Jones.

“Those shots even surprised myself,” Jones said as his teammates chuckled behind him in Saint Joseph’s locker room.

Jones looked like he’d lose the matchup at the basket, but sent floaters high off the glass to keep the Hawks in front.

“I tried to go layup but the big dude came at me,” Jones said, “So I just did what I had to do.”

It’s what Jones has done all tournament long.

He had 21 points in Saint Joseph’s opening round win here over Georgia Tech, then set a tournament record with 38 points in a loss to Seton Hall that dropped the Hawks into the third place game.

Jones started slowly, in part held to six first-half points by Tulsa’s bigger guards Jordan Clarkson and Tim Peete, both 6-4. But Jones, a junior, wasn’t going to be kept out of the action and took the game to Tulsa after the break. Jones had a 3-pointer to tie things at 55-all.

The Hawks took the lead for good, 65-64, on Ronald Roberts’ two foul shots that were part of his personal run of 10 straight points as Saint Joseph’s took a 69-64 lead with 5:33 remaining.

Scottie Haralson, a freshman on UConn’s 2009 Final Four team, brought the Golden Hurricane (3-2) within a point with his basket, but Saint Joseph’s C.J. Aiken followed a miss by Langston Galloway with a high-flying jam.

That’s when Jones took over.

His first basket made it 73-68. After Idlet scored, Jones went right at Tulsa’s senior, falling away and landing the ball high off the glass and through the hoop to restore the five-point lead.

Haralson hit his sixth and final 3-pointer to again bring Tulsa within a basket when Jones again scored over Idlet.

Haralson was short on a 3-point try and Jones sealed the victory with a pair of free throws.

“Part-way through, maybe late in the first half, I filed it away in the back of my brain, ‘You know what? This is really a high-level game and we’re here,’” said Saint Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli, who won on his 35th wedding anniversary.

Galloway picked up for Jones’ sluggish start, scoring 15 of his team-high 23 points in the opening period. Galloway was 5 of 5 from behind the arc with four rebounds and three steals. Roberts had 13 points and Aiken 12 for the Hawks, who shot over 59 percent (29 of 49) for the game

Haralson led the Golden Hurricane with 24 points and Clarkson ended with 19.

Tulsa coach Doug Wojcik could find little fault with his club, which followed an opening day win over Western Kentucky with four-point losses to both Northwestern and the Hawks.

“I thought they attacked early in the second half and got some buckets that we didn’t get down low,” he said. “That was the difference in us in whether we could build a lead or not.”

It could be tough for many teams to build a lead on Saint Joseph’s when Jones is playing the way he did against Tulsa.

“It was a real good game from beginning to end,” Jones said. “We just executed at the end and did what we’re supposed to do. We did the right thing when we needed to do the right thing.”

 (© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

[listicle id=55129 align=left show_title=true]

Most of the Hawks’ 2010-2011 season was one to forget, as they went 9-21 in the regular season.

But one of those nine wins came in the regular season finale against Charlotte (71-70), and then the Hawks put together a run in the A-10 Tournament, upsetting George Washington (71-59 in OT) and Duquesne (93-90 in OT) before being eliminated by Dayton in the semifinals 64-61.

St. Joe’s head coach Phil Martelli (below right) is hopeful that the upward trend at the end of last season can serve his team well as they begin this season.

(Phil Martelli. Photo provided)

“At the end of the year, we realized finally, collectively and individually, that we could play on this level,” he tells KYW Newsradio,  “what it would take to play on this level, the mistakes that we had to eliminate, whether they were mistakes off the court, whether they were mistakes in the locker room, whether they were mistakes within the 40 minutes of the game.”

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As for this edition of the Hawks, Martelli says he is looking for all precincts to contribute.

“We have ten scholarship players, so I’m really leaning on all of them.  Obviously a lot of attention has been given to our  back court, Carl ‘Tay’ Jones and Langston Galloway coming into the season, averaging 29 (points) a game together last year.  Does that go up? Do they play better basketball? And even if their numbers go down, do they play better basketball?  That’s going to be a big deal.

“And I think everybody that loves basketball is going to enjoy watching (forward) Halil Kanacevic play.   He is an old school, front court guy.  He has multiple skills.  He’s (had) a year off, he played a year at Hofstra, made the All-CAA Rookie Team.  And now we are expecting big things both on the court and from a leadership role from Halil.”

As for this season opener, Martelli says his team will have to play well against a Western Kentucky team that went 16-16 a season ago.

“They play with a lot of energy.  They forced 27 turnovers in their exhibition game.  We have to be alert for the ball being driven at us, they shot 34 foul shots in their exhibition game.  And we have to get the first game jitters out.”

Last year these two teams also opened the season against each other with the Hilltoppers hammering the Hawks, 98-70, at Hagan Arena.

Tipoff tonight at the E.A. Diddle Arena is set for 8:00pm.

Reported by Matt Leon, KYW Newsradio 1060

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The defending NIT champion Flyers are now only one game away.

Chris Wright had 17 points, 15 rebounds and five assists and Dayton advanced to the championship game for the first time since 2004 with a 64-61 victory over stubborn Saint Joseph’s on Saturday.

“At the tournament, if you lose a game, you go home,” Wright said. “We know that. Coach told us to pack for Sunday before we got here. You’ve got to have faith in yourself and we do.”

Chris Johnson added 19 points for the ninth-seeded Flyers (22-12), who will play in the final on Sunday.

“This is the chance of a lifetime, you can’t ask for anything more than that,” Wright said. “The NCAA is something you live for. I can’t explain it more than that.”

The Flyers last went to the NCAAs in 2009.

“The last three weeks we’ve re-established the pride in how we play, and that’s good,” Dayton coach Brian Gregory said. “Our defensive intensity is back.”

The Flyers were outstanding defending Saint Joseph’s guards Langston Galloway and Carl Jones. While they combined for 27 points, they were limited to 8 of 28 shooting from the field. Hawks forward Ronald Roberts also was limited, with three points and three rebounds.

“It’s 40 more minutes to go,” Johnson said. “We have to play harder, and better than we did today.”

Galloway had 16 points and Idris Hilliard 15 for Saint Joseph’s (11-22), which reached the semifinals with overtime wins over George Washington and Duquesne in the first two rounds.

“We were a play not good enough,” Saint Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli said. “We belonged in the game and the guys gave us 40 minutes of everything we had.”

Down 11 with 5:33 left, the Hawks pulled within two, 63-61, with 8.8 seconds to play on two free throws by Galloway. Dayton’s Josh Parker hit a free throw with 5.8 seconds left for the final margin.

Saint Joseph’s had a couple of chances to tie, but turned the ball over on an inbounds play in front of their own bench with 2.8 seconds to go.

Jones, who was limited to 11 points on 4 of 16 shooting, missed a three-quarter court length shot at the final buzzer after a late steal.

“Our togetherness and working hard in practice is what we’ll take from this run,” Jones said. “We’ve learned that.”

Saint Joseph’s was trying to make the conference final for the first time since 2008.

“Give Phil and his staff a ton of credit,” Gregory said. “Earlier in the year, it was tough sledding. But they just kept playing and playing. And they’re the best 11-21 team that I’ve ever seen.”

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

With the pressure ratcheted up, stars can be born out of nothing and fade into oblivion just as quickly.

Photo courtesy of sjuhawknews.com

Enter the Saint Joseph’s University Hawks. A team that a month ago was mired at 5-17 and hoping for a date with fellow Jesuit Atlantic 10 struggler Fordham simply to get off the mark in conference play, the Hawks have now won six of their last 10, including four of five and three straight to position themselves 80 (albeit what will have to be miraculous) minutes from one of the most unlikely NCAA tournament bids in recent history.

The idea is still so far off it almost seems criminal to contemplate it. But two games in Atlantic City pale in comparison to the eternity on the brink they have already endured in back-to-back overtime games.

It’s March, and dreams of NCAA glory are the currency that drives the month.

After a Feb. 23 loss at Massachusetts, the Hawks faced a daunting task to earn the 12th and final seed in the Atlantic 10 tournament. But a convincing defeat of St. Bonaventure and a winner-take-12th game at Charlotte that they managed to eke out, 71-70, thanks to a free throw by freshman Langston Galloway with 4.7 seconds left punched St. Joe’s ticket.

They earned a trip to George Washington, which they salvaged in the extra session thanks to 22 points in five minutes, more than their total from seven halves of basketball this season. They then delivered today’s character win over Duquesne, rebounding to win a game in which they squandered a 11-point second half lead and bounce a team that thumbed them by 12 points in the conference opener at home.

Yes, the Hawks have dispatched the tournament’s fifth and fourth seeds, respectively, this week. And maintaining that momentum is even tougher. But not impossible.

The upset-o-rama that Boardwalk Hall has played host to this week leaves the Hawks a date with the ninth seed Dayton, which upset Xavier by a single point in the noon game despite doing its best to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against its instate rival.

The Hawks actually match up well against the Flyers, having almost beaten them in their first road trip of the A-10 season in a 65-59 decision.

The Hawks are playing with house money and have nothing to lose. But it’s not some form of reckless abandon that is guiding the team. They’re playing disciplined ball as the team with the 14th best turnover margin in the nation (that sounds like a foreign language for even the best of Phil Martelli teams). Despite reaching the 90s against the high-flying Dukes, they were able to slow the tempo of the game down and cope with Duquesne’s full-court pressure. It can’t be helped that their efforts to keep the game in the 70s were thwarted by 52.5 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from three-point range.

But it’s also how they’re starting to win games. Leaders are starting to lead. Idris Hilliard has upped his play, scoring in double-figures in each of the Hawks last three wins despite averaging only eight points per game this season. He asserted his dominance on the Duquense game in a way I’ve rarely seen him since the days in which his defenders were preoccupied with a man named Ahmad Nivins. Hilliard’s ability to be productive in the post set an early tone, and let the Dukes know they were in for a game.

Martelli often talks about seniors getting a certain look in their eyes as the end of their Hawk career nears. Hilliard is playing like he knows the feeling.

But it’s not just confined to the senior swing man. Charoy Bentley had nine big points against the Dukes via three massive three-pointers on four attempts. Todd O’Brien, a veteran by this team’s standards, had the pivotal rebound in overtime against George Washington to preserve the victory.

Carl Jones is owning the point guard position, becoming a pass-first player in the lane. It’s directly benefitting Ronald Roberts (double-figures scoring in three of his last four outings, including a massive first half against the Dukes) and CJ Aiken (who’s embracing his bench role).

This is a team who is fighting for each other, finally executing and buying into what Martelli has been preaching less than successfully all season. They’re fighting for the family Galloway described in the tournament preview.

They’ve realized they had to go back to square one, and the fact that they face the same three opponents with which they opened the conference slate shouldn’t be lost on them.

Even if it doesn’t result in an NCAA bid, as all rational thought and experience suggests, this week gives the rebuilding Hawks on cornerstone upon which to place next the future.

And hey, who’s going to tell these young kids they’re not allowed to dream for a week.

Charlotte’s Derrio Green heaved a halfcourt shot, but it missed at the buzzer.

The Hawks (9-21, 4-12 Atlantic 10) secured the 12th and final spot in next week’s conference tournament.

Charlotte (10-20, 2-14) would have earned the tiebreaker and would have notched the 12th spot with a win, but the 49ers saw their season end on an eight-game losing streak.

Galloway was 6 of 7 from 3-point range and 8 of 11 from the field for the game. He hit 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions early in the second half as the Hawks led by as many as eight. He also converted a four-point play late in the game.

On the deciding play, Galloway beat fullcourt pressure after the Hawks inbounded with 10.3 seconds, and was fouled on the drive with 4.1 remaining. He hit the first free throw, missed the second.

Saint Joseph’s also got 19 points from guard Carl Jones and 10 points from Idris Hilliard.

The Hawks were 11 of 19 from 3-point range.

Chris Braswell led Charlotte with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Javarris Barnett scored 11 points and Jamar Briscoe, who has been out with a back injury, came on midway through the second half to score 10 points.

The Hawks scored the last seven points of the first half to take a 35-33 halftime lead. They pushed the lead to 48-40. Charlotte reeled off seven straight at that point, and it was nip and tuck the rest of the way.

Galloway’s four-point play broke a tie and gave Saint Joseph’s a 68-64 lead with 1:20 remaining. The 49ers wound up tying it 70-70 on Green’s 3-pointer with 10.3 seconds left, and then Galloway was fouled as he beat fullcourt pressure on the ensuing possession.

Saint Joseph’s was in the same situation last season. The Hawks beat La Salle on the final day of the regular season to earn the 12th seed in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. The Hawks then lost to Rhode Island in the first round.

An’Juan Wilderness and Charles Dewhurst were honored before the game as Charlotte’s departing seniors.

Charlotte also introduced new football Coach Brad Lambert, who was hired earlier in the week to head up the program that will begin play in 2013.

Saint Joseph’s and Charlotte had not met previously this season.

The Hawks’ three Atlantic 10 wins had come over Massachusetts, Fordham and Saint Bonaventure. Charlotte’s wins had come over Fordham and regular-season champion Xavier.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Galloway was 5 of 7 from the 3-point line as the Hawks (8-20, 3-11 Atlantic 10 Conference) broke a three-game losing streak.

Saint Joseph’s shot a season-high 61.5 percent from the field (24 of 39) — 66.7 percent in the first half (12 of 18) — and 64.7 percent from 3-point range (11 of 17).

The Hawks used a 13-4 run to open the second to pull away from the Bonnies (15-12, 7-7) and take a 51-38 lead with 13:09 left. Andrew Nicholson’s three-point play cut the score to 56-52 with 6:36 to play, but Saint Joseph’s scored eight of the next 10 points.

Carl Jones added 20 points and C.J. Aiken scored a career-high 14 for the Hawks.

Nicholson scored 28 and Michael Davenport had 11 for St. Bonaventure.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

The Hawks (7-17, 2-8 Atlantic 10 Conference) have won two straight after a nine-game skid while the Rams (6-17, 0-11) have dropped 13 in a row and 37 consecutive A-10 games.

Carl Jones added 15 points for Saint Joseph’s, which trailed 47-31 with 18:45 to play.

A 21-6 Hawks run closed the gap to 53-52, with 11:01 left.

After the Rams’ Chris Gaston hit a jumper, Saint Joseph’s used a 15-3 spurt, including three 3-pointers by Jones, to lead 67-58 with 4:14 to go.

Branden Frazier and Brenton Butler scored 17 apiece for Fordham.

The Hawks had not played in the arena, now called the Izod Center, since losing to Oklahoma State 64-62 in the 2004 NCAA Elite Eight.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Galloway knocked down six 3-pointers for the Hawks (6-17, 1-8 Atlantic 10), who won despite being outrebounded 44-24. Daryus Quarles finished with 11 points.

Saint Joseph’s led by as many as 13 points after Galloway hit a 3-pointer with 8:53 left in the second half. The Minutemen rallied, going on a 13-2 run to cut the lead to 52-50 with 5:10 remaining.

Anthony Gurely, who finished with 10 points, made a 3-pointer to trim the margin to one point with 18 seconds left. But Idris Hilliard made two free throws to help Saint Joseph’s end the second-longest losing streak in school history.

Sean Carter had eight points and 15 rebounds — seven offensive — for the Minutemen (13-9, 5-4). Freddie Riley had 14 points.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

(Photo provided by sjuhawks.com)

Postgame press conference/interviews

Audio of Phil Martelli press conference

Audio of interview with Charoy Bentley

Audio of interview with Langston Galloway

Below is the story posted at the buzzer.

St. Joe’s tops UMass for first A-10 win

By AARON BRACY

PHILAHOOPS.COM Editor

philahoops@gmail.com
PHILADELPHIA – Langston Galloway scored 25 points and Charoy Bentley had solid floor game in replace of injured Carl Jones to lead Saint Joseph’s to an xx-xx win over Massachusetts.
It was the first Atlantic 10 victory for the Hawks, who improved to 6-17 overall, 1-9 in the A-10. UMass dropped to 13-9, 5-4.
The Hawks won by limiting the amount of possessions UMass had. But it wasn’t easy.
St. Joe’s led by as many as 11, 50-39, midway through the second half. The Hawks were clinging to a small lead for most of the half, but held a 61-57 advantage with 1:30 left before a turnover and Freddie Riley 3 made it 61-60 with 1:21 left.
Patrick Swilling put St. Joe’s up 3 with a layup with 45 seconds left. After a UMass miss on a 3-pointer, Idris Hilliard made a pair of free throws to put St. Joe’s up 65-60 with 27 seconds left. UMass made 1 of 2 free throws, then Anthony Gurley hit a long 3 to make it 65-64 with 18 seconds left.

Hilliard went to the line with 12 seconds left and made a pair to put the Hawks up 67-64. Gary Correia missed a 3-pointer with 5 seconds left that would’ve tied it, but Matt Hill was fouled going up for the rebound but missed the free throw and St. Joe’s won.
St. Joe’s played without leading scorer Jones (18.0 ppg), who missed the game with an ankle injury.

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**Coverage schedule: Philahoops.com will be covering the following games this week (subject to change): Temple at La Salle (Wednesday), West Virginia at Villanova (Saturday), Dayton at La Salle (Saturday).**

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Monday Q&A: Martelli right to lash out at anonymous bashers

Plus: Four more questions and answers

By AARON BRACY

PHILAHOOPS.COM Editor

philahoops@gmail.com

1. Q: DOES PHIL MARTELLI HAVE A BEEF WITH ANONYMOUS FANS?

Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli speaks following a game earlier this season. On Saturday, he lashed out at anonymous posters who are calling for his firing. (Credit AARON BRACY/Philahoops.com)

 

A: Yes and no. I was disappointed that I missed Saturday’s Temple-St. Joe’s game because I love the Big 5 and, especially, the Palestra. When I heard later Saturday what St. Joe’s coach Phil Martelli said afterward, I was even more bummed because I would have followed up more on the subject.

 For those who missed it, Martelli lashed out at anonymous fans who are calling for his firing. (Jack McCaffery wrote a column about it in the Delco Times.) Some have done it here on my chats, many have done it on the Hawks message board. Where else? I’m not sure.

Martelli shouldn’t be surprised by the comments. He, better than anyone, knows that it’s a win-or-else, what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business. I repeatedly am on record saying Martelli shouldn’t be fired this year and deserves some rope based on his past success.

But it is not unreasonable for disappointed fans to want to go in another direction after an 0-7 Atlantic 10 start. Welcome to the world of big-time (Division I and professional) sports. Martelli knows this. I’ve heard him on WIP many times question Andy Reid’s coaching, much like SJU fans are questioning his.

So, I don’t think the beef should be with people saying he should be fired. Hard to hear? Absolutely. But prove them wrong by going out and winning.

I am 100 percent on board with Martelli, though, about the anonymous nature of the comments.

Anonymity may just ruin America. It’s easy to make personal attacks from the cloak of anonymity on your basement computer. If you’re going to attack someone, if you’re going to say someone should be ousted from a job that supports their family and provides personal and professional satisfaction, then have the guts to put your name behind it.

As a journalist, I am always careful with my wording (or try to be) because my name is on top of the story. If I give an opinion, I will support my opinion and stand behind my opinion. Most of all, you will know it is my opinion.

I was happy to see many Hawks fans putting their names behind their posts in a thread on this subject. It’s a good start to a worldwide problem caused by the Internet.

So, you think Martelli should be fired? You’re certainly not alone, and your argument is growing by the loss.

Go ahead, state your reasons.

But, please, state your name, too.

2. Q: IS VILLANOVA STILL A NATIONAL TITLE CONTENDER?

Villanova has lost three of its last four games, but Nova Nation need not worry because this squad still can add '2011' to the Final Four banner that hangs in the Pavilion. (Credit AARON BRACY/Philahoops.com)

A: Absolutely. Don’t be fooled by people who will suddenly question Villanova’s place as one of the nation’s best teams following Saturday’s 69-66 loss to Georgetown.

It’s easy to look at the win-loss column and see that the Hoyas loss was Nova’s third in their last four games. You’ll hear pundits start to say the Cats don’t belong in the national title conversation. Good guy Joe Lunardi probably (rightly) will drop Nova to a No. 4, 5, or 6 in his latest Bracketology report. CBS, during its St. John’s-Duke telecast Sunday, said Nova was a “not hot” team.

Calm down, Nova Nation. It’s just life in the Big East.

Are there some things to fix? Absolutely.

Should Nova fans be setting off alarm bells? No way.

The Cats (17-4, 5-3 Big East) still have the talent and experience to reach the Final Four – or beyond.

Here’s the bottom line: The Big East is the most difficult conference in the country. Seven teams began last week in the AP Top 25. The conference has 16 teams, and 11 of them should be in any NCAA tournament that started today.

The competition is fierce. There’s nowhere to hide. The talent is immense. And if you take a night off, as Nova unintentionally did against Providence last week, even the league’s bottom-dwellers can bite you.

“That’s why you don’t see many teams go undefeated in this league,” Nova coach Jay Wright said after Saturday’s loss. “You just can’t slip one night. Up at Providence, we weren’t even in the game. One night like that where you’re taking bad shots and not making bad shots and just be a little sloppy, we got hammered up there.”

Wright knows that in the Big East you have to quickly shake it off and move on.

“We can’t get into those funks because, in this league, it can go for a while,” he said.

I watched courtside as the Wildcats played a good, not great, game against the Hoyas.

Georgetown star Austin Freeman pierced Nova with 30 points, including some clutch baskets down the stretch. The Wildcats also were hurt by the foul trouble of big man Mouphtaou Yarou and another pedestrian game from sharpshooter Corey Stokes (more on Stokes below).

Ultimately, though, give credit to Georgetown for the win. It was less of what Villanova did to lose and more of what the Hoyas did to win that is the story.

That’s the way it is in the Big East.

“It’s life in the Big East,” Hoyas coach John Thompson III said. “(Pitt coach) Jamie Dixon said this a couple of weeks ago, I think, and he’s right. The first part of the season Big East teams went out and beat up the rest of the country and now that conference play is starting we’re going to beat each other up.

“And people out there are going to start questioning, ‘What’s wrong with this team?’ ‘What’s wrong with that team?’ because now you’re going to start losing a few games. It’s life in the Big East. This is an outstanding conference.”

Nova will bounce back. This is still a national title contender. They have an easier stretch of league games in their upcoming schedule, hosting Marquette (Wednesday) and West Virginia (Saturday) before traveling to Rutgers (Feb. 9).

Even those aren’t gimme wins. Sad sack DePaul might be the only gimme in the league. That’s one out of 15 opponents.

Just call it life in the Big East.

And, yet, it’s a life the players relish.

“It’s a challenge,” Nova guard Corey Fisher said of the Big East, “but that’s something you want as a basketball player. You know you’re playing against great players every night at every position. I think we’re up for the challenge. Like coach said, we just have to get better and keep playing Villanova basketball.”

3. Q: WHAT’S UP WITH COREY STOKES?

A: Quite simply, he is in a shooter’s funk. If there is any reason for Nova Nation to be concerned, it is the recent play of Stokes.

The 6-5 senior guard was the front-runner for Philly player of the year and, according to my sources, emerged as a legit NBA prospect following a tremendous six-game stretch from Dec. 22 through Jan. 12 when he averaged 19.7 points while making 24 of 42 (57.1 percent) of his 3-pointers.

Just as suddenly, though, Stokes went into a funk.

Counting Saturday, Stokes has averaged just 9.6 points in his last five games. More concerning is his shooting percentage from long range during the stretch, as he’s made just 9 of 36 (25 percent) from the arc.

So how can Stokes get out of the slump? Keep shooting.

Slumps and funks happen to all athletes – even the great ones. It might not be the worst thing for Nova that Stokes’ slump is happening now rather than down the stretch or in postseason.

He looked comfortable in nailing three second-half 3-pointers against the Hoyas, maybe a sign that he’s finding the range once again.

No doubt, the Cats need Stokes to be Stokes to be any factor in the NCAA Tournament.

“We need him to make shots,” Wright said Saturday. “He’s trying to make big shots for us rather than just make shots. It’s not a selfishness at all. He takes his role as a leader very seriously. We need him and we, as a staff, need to do a better job of getting him easier shots. He knows his job is to make shots for us. He’ll be there. I’m confident in him.”

Like Wright, I’m banking (no pun intended) on Stokes to be just fine.

4. Q: WHAT’S WRONG WITH ST. JOE’S?

A: Martelli is getting more and more frustrated (see above) more and more by the day. And for good reason. The Hawks were blown out Saturday morning at the Palestra, 72-54, to remain winless in the Atlantic 10.

A defeat wasn’t surprising. No, it was the nature of the loss – a blowout, which isn’t what you’d expect in a Temple-St. Joe’s game at the Palestra – and the pitiful performances of several Hawks who are supposed to make up the team’s future.

St. Joe’s (5-16 overall, 0-7 A-10) can count on offense from just two players right now: Carl Jones and Ronald Roberts.

The speedy Jones, a sophomore, scored 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting in 36 minutes against the Owls, while Roberts, a freshman, came off the bench to net 17 points on 8-for-11 shooting in 28 minutes.

Sad stat of the year? Jones’ 19 points were more than the total (18) of the other four starters combined. Ouch.

The three freshman starters – guard Langston Galloway, and forwards C.J. Aiken and Darius Quarles – had lines that looked as follows:

Player         Min   Pts    Rebs  FG     3PTFG

Galloway   32     2       3       1-9    0-1

Aiken          25     4       3       1-6    0-1

Quarles      25     3       3       1-6    1-3

Total           82     9       9       3-21  1-5

It’s nearly impossible, if not impossible, to win when three of your starters score 9 points in 82 combined minutes while shooting 3-for-21.

The scary thing for Hawks fans is that these are the building blocks of the future.

Losing is tough on almost anyone, especially on young players. Clearly, the mounting losses are taking their toll on the young players’ confidence.

That has to be a huge concern for Martelli and his staff. It’s obvious, but the Hawks must end the losing streak – and soon – to prevent the negative vibe from carrying into next season.

It will be difficult for the Hawks to get a win on the road Wednesday against Richmond, so Saturday’s home game against UMass is the next real chance.

5. Q: WHO ARE PHILLY’S STAT LEADERS?

A: St. Joe’s Carl Jones maintained his hold atop Philly’s scoring leaders, averaging 17.5 points per game.

Drexel’s Samme Givens tops the rebounding category, as he has all season, at 10.5 boards per contest.

And Villanova’s Corey Fisher holds the slightest of edges over teammate Maalik Wayns, with one more assist in 21 games, for a 5.05 per game average.

Full list of Philly stat leaders will be posted Monday evening.

–

Reach Aaron Bracy at philahoops@gmail.com

For a archive of Monday Q&A columns, click HERE.

The line of thinking started two weeks ago when I happened to stumble upon TCN or whatever the channel calls itself these days broadcasting the classic Jesuit matchup of St. Louis and St. Joe’s.

Photo courtesy of sjuhawknews.com

Through most of the first half, I was having trouble identifying just who was on the floor. I’d only seen snippets of games earlier that season, and wasn’t sure who one player in particular was. He looked to be about 6-foot-5, holding onto the ball at the top of the key without dribbling, waiting for guys to run off downscreens in the low block.

After a couple possessions, I realized who it was: Idris Hilliard, the team’s senior captain. I seem to recall Hilliard as a 6-foot-9 freshman three years ago. But now, his game, and possibly he, has shrunk mightily.

I put the thought away as a mere snarky observation. But a pair of factors brought it back to mind today. The first was St. Joe’s loss to the far more athletic Temple Owls, which was sharing time on my television screen with Xavier and Richmond contesting an epic battle between two of the conference’s elite teams.

I saw Temple, then Xavier, then Richmond—all three of whom are likely Tournament teams this season—then St. Joe’s, and the difference was glaring. As I watched 6-foot-10 Justin Harper step out to the perimeter to knock down a silky-smooth three on offense, then jump into the lane to bang with 7-footer Kenny Frease, it struck me that they were playing a different game, a game played quite literally over the Hawks heads.

I’ve gone back and forth on this issue before, criticizing the Hawks’ physical conditioning for years and hearing even in passing from members of the team that they felt like high schoolers at times against larger opponents.

But, much like speed, you can’t teach height. The talent difference between St. Joe’s and Temple is there, but it’s not insurmountable. But the discrepancy in height and length can’t be compensated for. Carl Jones is fast and shifty and an excellent ball-handler. But when he’s asked to drive to the basket against a rangy defender like Khalif Wyatt at 6-foot-4, it’s not going to end well for the Hawks most trips down the court.

The Hawks redefine short at times. For St. Joe’s, short is the 5-foot-11 (a generous measurement at that) figure cut by Charoy Bentley and Justin Crosgile, who probably not coincidentally combined for one minute against the Owls. Short for the Owls is T.J. DiLeo, even if the 6-foot-2 in the media guide embellishes the truth a bit.

The Owls game led me on a thought exercise the likes of which probably filled the days for German existentialists (albeit with different ends, I would hope).

So, it’s not entirely the talent issue for St. Joe’s. Part of it certainly is that they’re young. So then, is it the system in place that’s failing them?

This isn’t going to turn into a “Fire Phil Martelli” diatribe. He’s been at the helm at St. Joe’s for long enough to know that something drastic needs to change. He also know that the window he has in which he can change it is probably down to about 14 months at this point.

But the notion that the system of offense the Hawks play, which after five years of attending practices and games isn’t driven by a clear ideology that I can discern, is putting them at a disadvantage is worth exploring.

I’ve been a firm believer since Ahmad Nivins left school and left the Hawks with a smaller, more agile lineup at the beginning of last season that an up-tempo style is the way to go. Nivins was the anchor of a halfcourt system that even as a senior was less than efficient for long stretches. The absence of a scorer who could deliver quality possessions on a regular basis has been felt, as the Hawks’ 8-25 record over the last 367 days attests.

The Hawks now have a quick lineup. Langston Galloway and Patrick Swilling are good in the open court, as are big men C.J. Aiken and Ronald Roberts, who can create matchup problems for their bigger counterparts. The halfcourt offense, with the lack of good three-point shooters (more on that in a minute), physically has limited room to operate because of the superior length of any team they’ll play against and their own relative inability to create space for themselves.

So then, what system is Martelli and company using? The answer, unsurprisingly, is one that worked in the past when stars like Pat Carroll and Jameer Nelson roamed Hawk Hill.

Then the obvious question becomes: What’s different? I’m not going to insult the basketball gods by insinuating that Nelson and Jones are of the same ability-level.

But there are two extremely evident factors that this team lacks that Martelli’s past successful teams had.

The first is height, which started us on this adventure. But to better illustrate that point, let’s recall the last St. Joe’s team to make the Big Dance. They started three players 6-foot-9 or taller. This team has one in the regular rotation at that height, and that’s Aiken, who I weigh more than.

The second, and I hate to be crass about it, is a big tall white guy who can hit threes. Pat Caroll, Chet Stachitas, and Pat Calathes spanned an almost uninterrupted decade of three-point shooting virtuosity that mimicked one of the most successful periods in the program’s history. Coincidence?

To further that point, just look at the shooting numbers the Hawks have put up as a team. In the perfect regular season of 2003-04, they shot 40.4 percent from three as a team, including five players shooting 39 percent or better (and Jameer was fifth best among that group of shooters). The next highest number since then: 38.6 in 2007-08, when they made the Tournament, led by Calathes and Rob Ferguson beyond the arc.

The last two seasons, you ask? A putrid 30 percent even last year, with no one topping 34.5 percent, and 30.9 this season.

There’s a third factor, though it’s much less evident and almost unable to prove, but I’ll throw it out there anyway. Timidity is legislated in the Martelli’s offensive sets. Darrin Govens, as a senior, would regularly get pulled for deviating from the offensive plan (sometimes deservedly so). Ditto for Garret Williamson, to whom the keys to the offensive Ford Gremlin were almost unilaterally turned over last season.

Such an adherence to such a faulty system stifles creativity (you know, like the improvisation inherent in the run-and-gun system so ardently opposed). When you have 18 and 19-year-old kids running plays because they’re told to rather than because it jives with the basketball instincts they rode to college, it’s hardly surprising the halfcourt sets break down two screens in.

It produces a lethal combination of circular futility. Martelli is known for being a good recruiter, mining potential from occasionally unlikely sources and coaching them up. But by putting talent into the wrong system, they’re not improving.

Name the last St. Joe’s player other than Nivins to leave Hawk Hill notably better than he arrived. There is none. Williamson doesn’t count, since no player who entered drawing comparisons to Kobe Bryant and leaves into the D-League qualifies. And we know that no one from the 2011 class (Hilliard and Bentley) or the expatriate, now non-existent class of 2012. That’s a five-year gap, at least, without a player to hang your hat on.

The wrong system can make the right players look bad. This brings the obvious question of tailoring a system to the players at hand or changing the players brought in. For a while, Martelli has been inefficient in both cases.

But since those letters of intent are quite binding for four years, I think it’s time for the staff to start utilizing the full talents of the players present. Those sets that used to set up entry passes to the physically-imposing Nivins won’t work with the spindly Aiken. The clearouts that used to leave open three on the wing for Calathes aren’t going to yield the same results when Swilling’s out there.

There’s hope for the future. There’s potential to be harnessed. But things need to change, and change fast.

Lawson was 11 of 17 from the field, including 1 of 3 from 3-point range, and added seven free throws in eight trips to the line. Ethan Wragge added a career-high 22 points for the Bluejays (5-4), who snapped a three-game losing streak. Antoine Young had 17 points and five assists.

Carl Jones scored 17 points, Justin Crosgile 15 and Langston Galloway 13 for Saint Joseph’s (3-7), which lost its fifth straight.

The Hawks led early, going on top 30-18 with 6:30 left in the first half. But Lawson responded with five straight points to spark a 20-6 run that put Creighton on top 38-36 at halftime.

The Bluejays trailed 42-40 four minutes into the second half before draining 3-pointers on six straight possessions — five from Wragge — to take a 58-50 lead.

(© Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)