PHILADELPHIA – It was a Big Five game. The opponent was a major rival. The gymnasium was electric. The ball was tipped. Chris Clover banked a short jump shot, and the crowd went crazy.
St. Joseph’s University wishes the game had ended right there.
Despite a strong start Saturday night at Hawk Hill, SJU succumbed to Villanova’s torrid display of marksmanship and lost, 94-53.
While the Hawks fell to 4-4, the Wildcats (8-0) showed why they’re ranked fourth in the nation. They shot 54.3 percent from three-point land, in the process setting a school record with 19 treys. They began the second half on a ridiculous 26-2 run. Four players – all underclassmen (junior Phil Booth, junior Jalen Brunson, junior Mikal Bridges, and freshman Omari Spellman) – combined for 65 points. Former Catholic League Most Valuable Player Collin Gillespie, who led Archbishop Wood to last year’s Catholic League championship and PIAA Class 5A state title, added nine points. Perhaps most impressive was that the Wildcats assisted on nearly 70 percent of their baskets.
In other words, the affair was forgettable. The good news is that it’s just one game.
“A game like that, where they hit 19 threes, you just have to learn from the mistakes,” said junior Chris Clover, the former Catholic League Most Valuable Player from St. Joseph’s Prep who contributed 12 points and four rebounds. “You have to move on to the next game.”
The opening seconds were electric as local product Chris Clover banks in a short jumper...
St. Joseph's Prep grad, Chris Clover, opens the second half with a short jump-shot...
Sophomore teammate Pierfrancesco Oliva agreed.
“I think that the best approach is just to look at the next game,” said Oliva. “We played a really good team. It didn’t go well and we need to understand what to fix in order to get better for our next games.
“We all need to understand how to contribute more, starting with myself, because those are the kind of opponents we want to play when March comes.”
SJU coach Phil Martelli lauded the Hawk faithful who cheered until the end.
“I appreciated the crowd support,” said Martelli. “We had a great crowd and great atmosphere. I wish we had given a better account of ourselves.”
Among those in the crowd were 2016 graduates Isaiah Miles and Aaron Brown. Sitting next to each other across from the SJU bench, the former Hawks came early and stayed until the end.
Isaiah Miles (left) and Aaron Brown enjoyed their return to Hawk Hill...
SJU vs. Villanova Game Photos by John Knebels
Despite the defeat, they thoroughly enjoyed their return.
“It feels good to be back here on Hawk Hill, especially in the ‘Holy War’ against Villanova,” said Miles. “It brings back so many good memories, so many good times.
“I wanna suit up one more time and play. I was telling AB (Aaron Brown) it was getting me fired up. It’s just a great feeling.”
Brown can relate.
“Nostalgia,” he said. “We were just out there for pre-game warm-ups and it just brought back a lot of memories. We had a lot of good memories in this gym, and it’s always good to get back and be able to see them play.
“When we stepped on that court, it literally felt like just yesterday. That feeling when you hear the crowd is literally like no other. The crowd’s behind you and giving you all kinds of energy to play hard, and it’s just great.”
Neither player expects that verve to ever dissipate.
“Those feelings don’t go away,” said Miles. “We miss it a lot. It’s a different feeling. We come from playing for the crowd, and now we’re part of the crowd. We’re on the sidelines cheering our guys on. You feel that energy. You kinda feel like you’re a part of it.”
The current Hawks appreciated seeing their former mates.
“It’s definitely important to know that guys that graduated still come to our games and support us,” said Oliva. “It really shows what this program is about. Those are guys that won a lot here, so we definitely want to prove that we can do the same.”
The Hawks’ next opportunity will be at 2:30p.m. Saturday against Big Five city rival Temple University
“They have a good team, too,” said Oliva. “We need to bounce back. We need to send a message.”
The Wildcats just came off an 88-72 victory against Gonzaga and will play LaSalle on Saturday at 1:00p.m. in another Big Five match-up.
(John Knebels can be reached at Jknebels@gmail.com or on Twitter @johnknebels.)