St. Joe’s closed out a three-game homestand by holding on down the stretch for a gritty 69-62 win over Virginia Commonwealth Saturday night at Hagan Arena.
The Hawks improved to 16-7 (6-3, Atlantic 10), while VCU fell to 19-5 (7-2, A-10).
Turning point
Clutching to a 65-62 lead with 55.6 seconds remaining in the game, the Hawks made some nifty passing before freshman DeAndre Bembry rolled a layup off the rim.
VCU grabbed the rebound and was off running. That’s when Rams leading scorer Treveon Graham barreled down the lane right into Halil Kanacevic. The officials called a charge with 32.5 ticks left and Hagan Arena erupted into a frenzy.
Hawks fans weren’t the only ones fired up about the call. VCU head coach Shaka Smart stormed off the bench to argue and had to be restrained by his assistants.
The Hawks were able to securely inbound the ball after a timeout and Langston Galloway drained two free throws to earn the win.
News
Big men on campus
Galloway seemed to come up with a bucket every time St. Joe’s needed one. The senior guard finished the game with 24 points on 8 of 14 shooting.
Bembry was all over the floor for the Hawks, scoring 18 points, grabbing six rebounds, handing out three assists and nabbing three steals.
Ronald Roberts, Jr. added nine points and nine rebounds, while Kanacevic had seven points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and one huge defensive play.
Juvonte Reddic led VCU with 17 points and eight rebounds. Melvin Johnson added 14 points, while Graham chipped in with 13 points and eight boards.
Inside the box score
• The Hawks turned the ball over 12 times against VCU's vaunted "Havoc" defense. The Rams had 10 giveaways in the game.
• St. Joe’s out-rebounded VCU, 39-35.
• The Hawks weren’t just active on the defensive glass. They grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and turned them into 15 second-chance points.
• Both teams struggled from three-point range. SJU made 6 of 21 attempts, while VCU hit 4 of 14.
• Despite Galloway’s big pair of free throws in the clutch, the Hawks’ struggles from the free-throw line continued. They made 13 of 20 from the charity stripe. On the other side, the Rams nailed 8 of 12.
Series
VCU still holds a 3-2 edge in the all-time series. The Rams had won three straight prior to Saturday’s game.
Before last season’s two meetings after VCU joined the Atlantic 10, the programs had not faced each other in 31 years.
Injury update
St. Joe’s redshirt freshman Kyle Molock suffered yet another knee injury and will miss the rest of the season (see story).
What’s next?
St. Joe’s has a week off before facing Big 5 rival La Salle on Feb. 15 at Tom Gola Arena.
VCU returns to action on Wednesday when the Rams host George Washington.