Courtesy of SJUHawks.com
Saint Joseph’s junior guard Shavar Newkirk will miss the rest of the 2016-17 season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in the Hawks’ win over George Washington on Friday night.
Newkirk will undergo surgery in three to four weeks.
Newkirk had keyed the Hawks’ comeback from 12 points down in the first half, and was about
to score his sixth straight point on a fast break, when he went down with the non-contact injury. He finished the game with 10 points and SJU won, 68-63.
Newkirk is the Hawks’ leading scorer, averaging 20.3 points per game through 12 games. He scored 20-plus points in all but four games this season, reaching a new career-high of 28 points. Newkirk topped the Hawks in free-throw percentage (.847) and averaged 3.5 assists per game, while hitting 46.6 percent of his field goal attempts this year. He was in the midst of career-best season as his scoring average was 13 points more than last season’s (8.0).
“This is certainly disappointing to all of us in the Saint Joseph’s basketball program. Our thoughts and concern go out to Shavar and his family,” said head coach Phil Martelli. “We’re fully supportive of him, academically and socially, and as he makes his return to the basketball court, bigger, stronger and better than ever. His teammates have expressed the same level of support.”
SJU has had its share of injuries this season. Sophomore Pierfrancesco Oliva, a starter in 2015-16, was diagnosed with a knee condition in the summer that is causing him to miss the year. Junior James Demery missed 10 games after suffering a stress fracture in his foot in the first contest. Ironically, Demery returned to action in the George Washington game.
Saint Joseph’s is 7-5 (1-0 A-10) and heads to Rhode Island for a nationally-televised matchup (CBSSN) on Tuesday.
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