Halil Kanacevic scored 18 points as the Hawks held on for dear life at the end to come away victorious over #21 Massachusetts. After jumping out to a 16-point halftime lead, Saint Joseph's withstood a second half charge from the Minutemen, winning by a final score of 73-68.
Massachusetts would lead 8-5 early in the contest before the Hawks knotted things at 10. From there it would be all Saint Joseph's for the remainder of the half, as they closed the half on a 31-15 run to go to the locker room with a 41-25 lead over the Minutemen.
The Minutemen slowly chipped away at the Hawks' lead, pulling to within 9 points on a Derrick Gordon layup with 9:46 remaining. Massachusetts continued their second half barrage, tying the game at 67 on yet another layup by Gordon, this time with just 1:24 remaining in the game.
Following a Langston Galloway free throw, the Hawks had regained the lead at 68-67, but Chaz Williams would step to the line for the Minutemen with 39 seconds remaining.
Williams would make the first and miss the second, as a scramble ensued under the basket, one which included missed layups and tip-ins by the Minutemen before Chris Wilson came down with the ball for the Hawks before being fouled.
Struggling mightily from the foul line, Saint Joseph's would make their most important opportunities, as Chris Wilson made two free throws to regain the lead with 30 seconds left and Papa Ndao iced the game with two more with just 13 seconds remaining.
Halil Kanacevic led the Hawks with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in the contest, while fellow big man Ronald Roberts Jr. added 17 points and 6 rebounds. DeAndre' Bembry would notch 13 before fouling out and Chris Wilson would tack on 12 to give Saint Joseph's four players in double figures.
While Saint Joseph's was able to pull off the win over a ranked team, there were glaring issues in the Hawks' game yet again. Free throws continued to be an issue, as the Hawks made just 25 of 40 attempts, and eventually will come back to bite them in a close game.
With the win, the Hawks improve to 15-6 on the season and 5-2 in Atlantic 10 play. There is no time for Saint Joseph's to celebrate the win however, as they will be tested again on Wednesday when they face #19 Saint Louis at home.
By: Kyle Babcock
Follow us on Twitter: @BroadStBeat
The Minutemen slowly chipped away at the Hawks' lead, pulling to within 9 points on a Derrick Gordon layup with 9:46 remaining. Massachusetts continued their second half barrage, tying the game at 67 on yet another layup by Gordon, this time with just 1:24 remaining in the game.
Following a Langston Galloway free throw, the Hawks had regained the lead at 68-67, but Chaz Williams would step to the line for the Minutemen with 39 seconds remaining.
Williams would make the first and miss the second, as a scramble ensued under the basket, one which included missed layups and tip-ins by the Minutemen before Chris Wilson came down with the ball for the Hawks before being fouled.
Struggling mightily from the foul line, Saint Joseph's would make their most important opportunities, as Chris Wilson made two free throws to regain the lead with 30 seconds left and Papa Ndao iced the game with two more with just 13 seconds remaining.
Halil Kanacevic led the Hawks with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in the contest, while fellow big man Ronald Roberts Jr. added 17 points and 6 rebounds. DeAndre' Bembry would notch 13 before fouling out and Chris Wilson would tack on 12 to give Saint Joseph's four players in double figures.
While Saint Joseph's was able to pull off the win over a ranked team, there were glaring issues in the Hawks' game yet again. Free throws continued to be an issue, as the Hawks made just 25 of 40 attempts, and eventually will come back to bite them in a close game.
With the win, the Hawks improve to 15-6 on the season and 5-2 in Atlantic 10 play. There is no time for Saint Joseph's to celebrate the win however, as they will be tested again on Wednesday when they face #19 Saint Louis at home.
By: Kyle Babcock
Follow us on Twitter: @BroadStBeat
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