The Hawks Defend Their Nest

The Saint Joseph’s Hawks had their backs up against the wall after their worst loss in history. They rebounded with a win against Vermont after a devastating 52 point loss against Gonzaga. It was a team effort, but Isaiah Miles led it with his corner threes. The team is setup for Isaiah Miles to be the three point shooter. If Miles is consistent with his outside of shots, the team can find success. When Miles fills the three point role, it will take the pressure away from DeAndre Bembry. Miles production helped to propel the Hawks to an 8 point victory and if it continues they can be contenders moving forward.

The Hawks created turnovers with their pressure inside the arc. It proved that they know how to defend any pass within the perimeter. St. Joe’s excels attacking off a break-away. Even though Aaron Brown did not play his best against Vermont, he still impacted the game by taking on the bigger forwards and defending the perimeter well. They executed high pace counter attacks that led to points for each player. This helped SJU to easily surpass their points per game of 50.3. The Hawks defense controlled the entire game after the first five minutes.

Unlike Miles, James Demery and DeAndre Bembry’s role is running along the sidelines and attacking the basket. The team plays their best when they are flying down along the sidelines. They were able to play that style of basketball in the second half. Bembry looked comfortable for the first time this season being the team’s number one shooter and being guarded by the opposing teams best defender. It is possible for Bembry to be the top scorer on the team; however it is appears unlikely that number 43 will not consistently be the top scorer. The Hawks can contend with the top teams in the A-10 if each player is on the top of their game and playing together.

Moving forward they must stay focused, which might be difficult for a young team to do. Watching SJU grow their lead, you can tell that the team was gaining confidence. They began the game down 11-1 and then came back as they were building character and identity. The Hawks did not look back after gaining the lead going into halftime. However, they were not able to put away Vermont as they were always within ten. The young and now .500 hawks should not get too comfortable with their success against Vermont, and keep the pressure on the opposition. Let us hope we will see Bembry and company put LIU Brooklyn away in their upcoming game Tuesday November 25th at 7PM at Hagan.

-Pants

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