Sports and Rants with Brett and Pants : Up Next the Rams for the Chip

George Washington for the First Fight

Going into the Atlantic 10 tournament, the Saint Joseph’s Hawks were on a two game losing streak; something that they have never done prior. The Hawks were able to overcome a 16 point deficit by the whole team contributing. There were no nerves being down by 14 with starting the second half. GW could not sustain the 68% 3 point shooting that they had in the first half. St. Joe’s defense improved, and the offense was able to drive the ball to the basket to a 80-86 win.

Down go the Flyers

Even though Bembry had a quiet game, other players like Papa and James Demery stepped up to push the Hawks to a 82 – 79 victory. After taking a seven-point lead at halftime, St. Joseph's extended it to an 11-point lead midway through the second half. Dayton’s press defense late in the game was hard for SJU to handle, but the Hawks team shot an astounding 88% from the foul line. Papa Ndao had a tremendous game; making his shots when it mattered most. This marks the second time the Hawks beat Dayton this season, so there is no discussion that they only won previously because of Hagan’s being insanely loud.

The Friendly Enemy in the Final

SJU was on a 7 game winning streak before they lost to VCU Rams 82 to 85 in Hagan Arena for the second game of conference play and their first home game of conference play. What hurt the Hawks the most was not making the foul shots late in the game, with being 46%. It was definitely the most devastating loss of the season.

3 Keys to Win the Chip

1. Limit the Turnovers

Shavar Newkirk and Lamarr Kimble are a tremendous point guard duo because they complement one another’s skills. While Kimble is a much more of a true PG, Newkirk has great north/south speed. Where the point guard position has troubled the Hawks is with turning the ball over 9 times. The mistakes need to be limited; and most importantly maintain possession.

2. Strength in Numbers

Without a doubt, the main reason why the Hawks are able to make it this far in the tournament, and were able to play so competitively is their depth. Their depth developed throughout the season, and it is continuing to grow even further. With Miles and Bembry being the team’s anchors on the court, they need to be assisted by a player stepping up behind the arc.

3. Don’t Back Down

No matter what happened throughout the season, this year’s team was able to sustain themselves. No deficit was too much for them to prevent them from fighting. Since, VCU has size, if the lanes open up because it will end up being an easy victory for the Rams.Saint Joseph's cannot be intimidated by their size. It will be a huge help if St. Joe's is able to move the ball quickly early down the court because their athleticism can trump VCU's size.

The Hawk Will Never Die

Saint Joseph’s won the Atlantic 10 championship when they were a four seed two years ago; and now as a four seed again, they are in the finals. St. Joe’s will play against the defending A10 champions for a chance to reclaim the title. The Rams and Hawks did not get to play each other twice during the season, but they will play each other in the conference championship at 12:30 on CBSSN.

- Pants