By Paul Casey Gotham
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The difference between knowing and thinking can be slight, but the St. Joe’s Hawks understand it.
After limping through their Atlantic 10 slate thinking they could win games, the Hawks now take the floor knowing they can win games.
And no one knows it better than a first-year player.
Freshman Carl Jones led the way with 28 points as the St. Joseph’s Hawks upset the fourth-seeded Duquesne Dukes 93-90 in an overtime battle at the Boardwalk Hall.
Jones paced the Hawks with 21 points after the break including six points in overtime.
“We got a lot of losses, but as we win, we get more confidence with each other and know how to play each other,” Jones said. “To me, the team is more about confidence – knowing that we can win instead of thinking that we can win.
After Langston Galloway gave the Hawks their largest lead of the game at 67-56 with a 3-pointer, the Dukes responded with a 10-point run to close within one.
B.J. Montiero drove across the lane and finished with a layup on the right side. T.J. McConnell pulled the Dukes within one after hitting a 3-pointer, and Duquesne took the lead when Montiero’s layup in transition drew a goaltending call.
St. Joe’s regained the lead when Idris Hilliard finished in traffic.
Jones and Montiero traded free throws.
The Hawks’ freshman grabbed a long rebound raced to the opposite end of the floor drawing a foul. Two free throws later, the Hawks led 72-69.
Montiero was fouled on a 3-point attempt and finished two from the line.
Jones took an outlet pass from Ronald Roberts Jr., drew contact in transition and converted at the charity stripe.
But the Dukes continued pressuring the Hawks ballhandlers with a half-court trap. After forcing the Hawks into a bad shot, Bill Clark came off a ball screen going to his right and hit from behind the arc.
A double-team just inside the front court created a turnover, and McConnell converted a layup at the other end to give the Dukes a 76-74 lead.
Langston Galloway exploded off the dribble on the right side, but his layup over outstretched hands kicked off the rim. Roberts Jr. was fouled on his putback attempt and made one of two.
Sean Johnson made a pair of free throws to give Duquesne a three-point edge with :29 to go.
After a timeout, Jones wheeled his way into the lane, drawing the defense before handing off to C.J. Aiken who was fouled hard. Aiken converted, and St. Joe’s trailed by one.
The Dukes broke the St. Joe’s press, and Johnson drew contact from Hilliard for the senior’s fifth foul. Johnson made one of two from the line.
With less than twenty seconds remaining, Charoy Bentley caught the Dukes in an overplay and threaded a one-handed pass through the defense to Roberts Jr. open on the left block. The freshman forward made a front pivot and tied the game with a two-handed slam.
“The biggest play of the game was Charoy Bentley keeping his head about him when all heck broke loose, and he found Ron Roberts for the dunk to tie the game,” Hawks head coach Phil Martelli explained. “Otherwise, we were going to go home .”
Facing overtime without their senior leader, Hilliard, the Hawks made good on their new-found confidence.
After a goaltending call gave Duquesne the first lead of overtime, Jones responded with a rebound and putback. Duquesne missed a pair of free throws at the other end. Jones drove the paint and finished but was whistled for a charge after the basket.
Galloway finished another layup. Charoy Bentley stole the ensuing inbound kicked it out C.J. Aiken and relocated to the right corner for a 3-pointer and an 88-82 lead.
Jones split another trap and found Aiken for a dunk.
But the Dukes clawed back.
Damian Saunders used an up and under in the lane and finished from the left. McConnell stuck a pull up jumper going to his right. Johnson hit two more free throws and led Saunders for a layup and the Dukes trailed by one.
Again the freshman made the play. With the Duquesne defense in his face, Jones split a trap and found Aiken for a dunk.
Jones sealed the victory with two free throws in the final seconds. The freshman finished the day going 12-of-15 from the line and 7-of-13 from the field. Roberts and Hilliard added 19 and 18 apiece to go with nine rebounds.
Saunders and Clark paced the Dukes with 21 points each. Johnson chipped in with 15, and McConnell had 15.
Duquesne falls to 18-12 with the loss.
The Hawks improve to 11-21 and advance to Saturday’s semi-final matchup with Dayton. The win was the third in a row for St. Joseph’s and fourth in their last five.
“Hear hasn’t been the issue,” Martelli commented on his team’s recent success. “Playing good basketball has been the issue. The hawk will never die. We were circling there, and just couldn’t soar. And now the last three games, we’ve been able to soar a little bit.”
Let’s hear it for the power of positive thinking!