It took Saint Joseph’s 21 minutes to find its shooter’s touch.
After a sluggish first half that saw the team shoot 31 percent from the field, St. Joe’s (17-3, 6-1 A-10) regained its rhythm in the second half in a 78-70 win over Massachusetts (8-11, 1-6) at Hagan Arena on Wednesday.
The Hawks hit their first three three-pointers and opened up a 50-40 lead after trailing by one at halftime. From then on, St. Joe’s was able to maintain a fairly comfortable lead -- aside from UMass trimming the deficit to five with 40 seconds to go.
“Coach [Phil Martelli] told us to remember the VCU game,” said Isaiah Miles, referencing the team’s 85-82 loss earlier in the month despite leading for most of the game. “We let that one go and we still think about that one, so we didn’t want this to be like that.”
The biggest difference in the second half for St. Joe’s was the performance of its secondary players.
James Demery had just one first-half point but was an instrumental figure in the turnaround, as he finished with 11. Papa Ndao was held scoreless in the opening half but contributed seven points in the second half. Aaron Brown also picked up nine points sparked by a pair of threes.
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As for team’s top two players, DeAndre Bembry and Isaiah Miles, the duo once again put forth valiant efforts. Miles quietly put up 27 points with nine of those coming from the charity stripe. He also grabbed 12 boards for his seventh double-double of the season. Martelli is pleased with how improved Miles’ rebounding has been this season compared to last.
“We needed [Miles] for all 40 minutes,” Martelli said. “He worked at [rebounding] in the spring and summer. He’s a great example of what you can do [to grow].”
Bembry added 13 points with nine rebounds and was all over the court on both ends.
“[Bemby] is an extraordinary player,” Miles said. “We feed off his energy. He wants to win so bad and as a teammate you don’t want to let him down. We all want to make each other proud.”
On the other side, Seth Berger led Massachusetts with 17 points while Jabarie Hinds added 13 points.
Turning point
Ndao was 0 for 3 going into halftime but hit his first shot to open the second half -- a three-pointer that gave St. Joes a 32-30 lead. His bucket was the start of a 12-3 run for the Hawks.
First half
There’s sloppy starts, then there’s what St. Joes and UMass did during the first 20 minutes.
The Hawks struggled mightily to find any offensive flow, finishing the half 10 for 32 from the field and 2 for 12 from beyond the arc. Eighteen of St. Joe's 29 points were scored by Miles and Bembry, although Bembry went 3 for 9 to get his eight points.
UMass didn’t fare much better shooting the rock, but found its saving grace in the long ball. The Minutemen were 4 for 8 from downtown. Rayshawn Miller scored his first bucket of the game on a layup that beat the buzzer and gave UMass a 30-29 lead going into the locker room.
This was the second straight first half that saw St. Joes score fewer than 30 points.
Suits and Sneakers Week
Martelli and the rest of the Hawks’ coaching staff along with Massachusetts’ coaches were seen wearing sneakers as part of the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week. The initiative raises awareness on the fight for cancer.
There were special laces on the shoes, as well. The yellow laces honored 8-year-old Lacey Hollsworth, who passed away from cancer in April 2014 and is famously known for her ties to Adreian Payne and the Michigan State program. The St. Joe's staff will also wear them for Saturday’s game at Rhode Island.
By the numbers
• St. Joe’s moved to 4-3 when trailing at halftime. The Hawks also improved to 11-0 when holding opponents between 60-69 points.
• The Hawks were busy at the foul line, going 29 for 40. In comparison, the Minutemen had just 17 free throws.
• Bembry has scored in double figures in all 20 games this season.
• The victory gives St. Joe’s 13 wins in its last 14 games.
• St. Joe’s has won four in a row over UMass.
What’s next?
St. Joe’s will head north to take on Rhode Island (11-8, 3-3) on Saturday at 6 p.m to close out January. They’ll return home on Feb. 3 when St. Bonaventure (12-6, 4-4) comes into town.