The Hawks Huddle before the game -photo John Knebels
Former SJU Star Langston Galloway '14 is recognized before the game. Galloway now plays for the New York Knicks - photo John Knebels
PHILADELPHIA- Villanova University coach Jay Wright looked like he needed a nap.
It wasn’t as though his visiting Wildcats had been in any real danger of losing to Big Five foe St. Joseph’s University Tuesday night at a sold-out Hagan Arena.
Villanova’s 86-72 victory was accomplished with the typical recipe of stingy defense and strong shooting from both the outside and free-throw line.
The Hawks, however, played hard, refusing to fold even though they trailed by double digits at halftime (42-32) and throughout most of the second half. At minimum, the Hawks had made the Wildcats work hard to improve their record to 7-0 while they fell to 4-2.
When you’re a perennial national contender, opponents tend to reach down a bit deeper. After all, underdogs aren’t supposed to win, especially against teams that are consistently nationally televised.
Perhaps that explains why Wright appeared a tad tired, because St. Joe’s had left everything on the court.
“This is a good St. Joe’s team,” said Wright. “A really good St. Joe’s team. They were well prepared. I’m not surprised.”
Wright said his players recognize that underdog teams are particularly dangerous because they don’t have as much to lose as the favorite. As proof, he referred to Nova’s shocking, 71-68 loss in the second round of last year’s NCAA tournament against a North Carolina State team that wasn’t expected to win.
“It’s a tough lesson,” he said. “I think these guys know how important it is to take every game with the same level of importance.”
ISAIAH MILES HITS A THREE - Video John Knebels
MIKAL BRIDGES ANSWERS WITH A THREE - Video John Knebels
Led by 18 points apiece from guard Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins, 17 from guard Ryan Arcidiacono, and 11 from Mikal Bridges, Nova placed four players in double figures. The Hawks did even better, with five players (DeAndré Bembry 17; Isaiah Miles 14; Shavar Newkirk and James Demery 13; Aaron Brown 11) in double digits.
Statistically, both teams were similar. Villanova shot slightly better from the floor (31-62 to 29-64) and much better from the line (13-15 to 8-14). The Cats had one more assist (18-17), three more rebounds (36-33) and only one more turnover (8-7).
Villanova Coach Jay Wright is flanked by Josh Hart (L) and Ryan Arcidiacono during post-game press conference - photo John Knebels
Though they shot poorly from three-point land (11-31), the Wildcats picked up 15 points despite the Hawks hitting a decent 6 of 18.
Still, the Wildcats seemed in complete control even though the Hawks trimmed their deficit to five and seven midway through the second half. Whenever St. Joe’s hit a big shot, Villanova always answered – usually immediately.
Saint Joseph's University Coach Phil Martelli studies post-game stats - photo John Knebels
Though his team didn’t embarrass itself in the slightest, St. Joe’s coach Phil Martelli wasn’t pleased.
“There was a chance,” said Martelli. “There was a canvas in front of us, and we were going to paint this picture for today. But the picture’s not pretty enough. We weren’t good enough for these 40 minutes. There are weaknesses. They exploited them, and we have to shore them up.”
Next up for Villanova is a contest Dec. 7 versus Oklahoma in the Pearl Harbor Invitational near Honolulu, Hawaii. The Hawks visit Columbia University 7 p.m. Friday.
(John Knebels can be reached at jknebels@gmail.com.)