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Dynamic Duo Lifts
Hawks Over Owls
The Atlantic 10
conference has always been top-heavy when it comes to the guards.
Saint Joseph's possesses two of the best in Jameer Nelson and Delonte
West. Nelson and West combined for 51 points as the Hawks held on to
defeat Temple 65-55.
The Hawks are now
12-1, 4-0 in the Atlantic 10. Saint Joseph's is in the driver's seat
for the A-10 East division crown. They hold a 2 game lead over Saint
Bonaventure and Massachusetts and a 3 game lead over perennial champ
Temple, all 3 of which have been handed a loss by the Hawks. Rhode
Island, a surprise team (9-4, 1-1 in A-10), is not likely to challenge
the Hawks for the division.
Saint Joseph's
entered the game as a 3 point favorite, but everyone knows that the
A-10 goes through Temple. Despite brandishing a 3-10 record, Temple
had defeated a very good Indian team. Also, Saint Josepp's coach Phil
Martelli had compiled a 3-12 record against the Hall-of-Famer on Broad
Street. Who knew which Temple team would show up, the one that
knocked off Indiana or the one that fell to Duquesne and was drubbed
by Richmond?
Temple resembled a
formidable opponent, especially early on. Lacking a true point guard,
the Owls feature David Hawkins and 6o Collins in the backcourt. Their
height advantage created some problems for the Hawks. Their size and
wingspan created havoc for the Hawks trying to find passing lanes and
open shots.
Saint Joseph's
Delonte West bailed the Hawks out of trouble several times in the
opening half. The sophomore on the rise scored 9 straight points to
keep the Hawks in scoring distance, trailing 21-16. Temple had gained
the early edge by connecting on 4-of-7 three-pointers, two each by
Hawkins and Collins.
Jameer Nelson knotted
the score at 21 when he LAUNCHED a 27-foot three-pointer. Coming with
the shot clock winding down and a defender all over him, the Nelson
three trickled the twine. A no-look zip pass by Nelson found an open
West under the basket for an easy lay-in. In addition to that bucket,
West scored 5 straight points for the Hawks.
For the second week
in a row, the Hawks ended the half on an emotional high. Nelson
barely evaded a trap, fired the ball over to Carroll who dished it to
Sazonov on the baseline. Sazonov faked and released the shot with 0.2
second to go. The shot banked in for a Hawk lead, 30-27.
The strong backcourts
of Saint Joseph抯 and Temple led the way during the 1st
half. Nelson (8 pts) and West (16 pts) combined for 24 points.
Hawkins (10) and Collins (8) countered with 18 points. The Hawks held
the edge in FG% (50.0 % vs. 39.0%).
Jameer Nelson and
Delonte West took over the game in the second half. The duo tallied
21 of the team's first 22 points. By then, the Hawks had opened up a
considerable lead, 52-40.
The Owl's Alex Wesby
asserted himself in the second half. The senior scored all 9 of his
team's points to close the gap to 54-46 with 5:11 to play.
Finally, Pat Carroll
made an important three-pointer to give the Hawks an 11 point cushion
and some breathing room. Carroll figured to be the ideal zone buster
for the Hawks against Temple, but the sophomore sniper was only 1-of-9
before that big shot. That basket and some free throws at the
end sealed the deal for the Hawks.
Jameer Nelson was
fantastic. Despite 6 turnovers, the star for the Hawks had 25 points,
a game-high 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. Delonte West finished with a
game-high 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. The two Hawks might
end up sharing the A-10 Player of the Week honor, of which Nelson has
been the recipient 3 times already this year.
Alex Sazonov and Pat
Carroll each had 6 points. Sazonov also swatted 3 shots and hauled
down 3 rebounds. It was the 2nd straight productive game
Sazonov. He later left the game after a collision with a Temple
player. Sazonov's knee got banged in the exchange. Despite hobbled
with the bum knee, Sazonov limped to the next huddle during the
time-out. It was a strong indicator of how together a team this bunch
is. In previous years, Sazonov wouldn't even take part in the huddle,
even if he was in the game at the time. This change of attitude is a
big positive.
The Hawks won the
rebounding battle, 32-25. The Hawks had 19 assists on 23 field
goals. They connected on 9-of-23 three-pointers.
Temple was led by
Alex Wesby's 17 points. Hawkins and Collins each tallied 14.
The Hawks next face
Rhode Island. The game is scheduled for 2pm on Sunday
E-Mail the Author:
Patrick Wandalowski
Follow St. Joseph's Basketball each
week here at Collegehoopsnet.com!
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