Philadelphia, PA – The Saint Joseph’s Hawks took down the undefeated Princeton Tigers today in a 74-70 win in Hagan arena. Princeton, ranked 11th in NET, headed into the game with a perfect record of 9-0, looking to continue the steak. For Saint Joe’s, it was an opportunity to notch five wins a row and, in addition, earn a quad one victory.
To say this was a street fight would be an understatement. The Hawks and Tigers traded back and forth in what has to be the best game in college basketball so far this season. Both teams made unbelievable shots, responding to one another in every critical moment.
A chess match, every timeout was an opportunity for Coach Lange and Coach Henderson to adjust their strategy. Coach Lange comes out of timeout with a 3-2 zone, only to back to man coverage when Coach Henderson makes the adjustment in the following timeout. Over and over again, these two adjusted trying to find an edge before the clock ran out.
Luckily for Saint Joe’s, they made the adjustments and stops necessary to be in the lead when the clock ran out. Erik Reynolds II, who finished with 21 points, helped seal the win for SJU with two big free throws with only four seconds left; resulting in a insurmountable four point deficit for the Tigers.
Players of the Game
Princeton’s Xaivian Lee had a fantastic game. The sophomore guard finished 20 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. With a usage of 34% and efficiency of 17%, he was the driving force for Princeton’s offense. Credit to the Tigers, the entire team played well throughout the afternoon. They jumped to an early lead, sinking three after three to separate from the Hawks. Princeton also responded out of the halftime break, fighting to get back the lead from Saint Joe’s after losing it late in the first half.
However, it wasn’t enough to hold back the performances of Saint Joe’s two leading guards Erik Reynolds II and Lynn Greer III. As mentioned above, Reynolds finished with 21 points, which was a team high. However, Lynn Greer really stuffed the stat sheet, finishing with 18 points, 4 steals, and 6 rebounds.
More Than Just a Stat Line
Finally, I have to mention standout plays from Cam Brown, Rasheer Fleming and Xzayvier (X) Brown. Fleming was a monster on defense, blocking three shots. Note, these were not layups, these were mainly three pointers, where Fleming was able to go all the way out to meet the ball as soon as it left the shooter’s hand.
Freshman Guard Xzayvier Brown scored one of the biggest plays of the game. At the 9:00 mark of the second half, X Brown grabbed a rebound and charged down the court. He then finished a layup in traffic for an “and one”. This capped a 9-0 run for Saint Joe’s and gave them a 54-47 lead.
However, while this was a huge momentum swing, nothing comes close to the clutch offensive rebound Cameron Brown grabbed with only eleven seconds left. With time counting down, Brown fought on the ground to secure the ball and give Saint Joe’s another chance at scoring, which resulted in the two free throws for Reynolds. There were countless examples of Saint Joe’s fighting hard to win the 50/50 balls, but this one stands out because it happened at the very moment SJU needed it most.
All Aboard the Hype Train
It is time to give Coach Billy Lange, and this Hawks team, the credit they deserve. This group of guys have shown up to almost every game this season and played to their best; minus of course one hiccup against Texas A& Commerce. Today was a prime example, they would not have won if everyone wasn’t on their ‘A’ game. When Saint Joe’s needed to move from man to zone, Coach Lange made the adjustment. When the team went down earlier, Lynn Greer led the team back to within striking distance. Not to mention the active hands on defense! Princeton averaged on 8 turnovers a game, the Hawks forced them to commit 14.
Heck, even the student section did their part, making enough noise to throw off Princeton to start 0-4 for their first free throws, not an easy feat for a team that shoots 80% from the FT line (5th in the country!). Everyone, from coach, to players, to students did their part. Shoutout to those fans showed up!
The People are Talking
This team has played well enough to justify the hype, and not just locally, but nationally. You don’t need to take my word for it, just look at what a few of our favorite analysts had to say…
and this…
The Best Team in the A10
At this moment in time, Saint Joe’s is the best team in the Atlantic 10. I know Dayton fans will probably say otherwise, and maybe a few other fanbases as well. But, I have seen enough and if there is anytime to steak a reputation on Coach Lange, it is now.
They have the strategy, the stars, and the swagger of a great team. Their defensive play and intensity is something we haven’t seen on Hawk Hill in years. Their situational awareness and decision making is greatly improved. Not to mention it appears they have learned how to win close games. Saint Joe’s has its swagger back, and that’s something the A10 has without a doubt missed. There are still a good amount of people who are hedging their bets against this team, and saying they haven’t proven enough. That’s fine, a little “us against the world” is the mentality a Philadelphia school can only benefit from.
Now, there is a lot of season left. So, let me take the remaining readers back down to earth after those fun few paragraphs of bragging. The Hawks will, without a doubt, have a target on their back as they approach Atlantic 10 play. Non-conference wins are nice, but conference play is extremely important, so they need to stay focused. As Joe Lunardi said on the American U broadcast, the hardest part is winning the games you are supposed to win. Like Villanova, the Princeton win is a great high for the team. But, they can’t let that distract them from what matters most, winning the next game.