This season had begun with such high hopes for the Hawks, being predicted to win the Atlantic 10, but that did not come to fruition. After a disappointing regular season, Saint Joseph's failed to make the NCAA Tournament and was sent to the NIT. With a chance to keep the season and career of Carl "Tay" Jones alive for a little bit longer, the Hawks came out sharp to start the game.
After a back and forth game early, the Hawks took a 32-26 lead into the locker room at halftime. Saint Joseph's continued its strong effort after the break, and extended their lead to 11 with just over ten minutes remaining in the game. That's when the wheels (or in this case wings) came off for the Hawks.
Over the final ten minutes of the contest, the Hawks went ice cold. The Red Storm began to storm back, going on a 23 to 10 run to close out the game and steal a victory that seemed likely to belong to the Hawks. After hitting 2 free throws with five seconds remaining to tie the game, the Hawks and Red Storm seemed poised to be heading to overtime. In a heart breaking finish to the Saint Joseph's season, Saint John's hit a buzzer-beater to escape Hagan Arena with a 63-61 victory.
For the contest, Ronald Roberts Jr. had 10 points to go with 7 rebounds. Roberts had what seemed likely to be two of the most important points for the Hawks, as he hit 2 free throws with five seconds left to seemingly send the game to overtime. This would not come to fruition, but at least Roberts showed poise on the line in the clutch.
Langston Galloway played the entire forty minutes in tonight's contest. Galloway scored 16 while also grabbing 5 rebounds. It was a solid finish to a shaky season for the junior guard, who will be the catalyst of this team next season.
Leaving it all on the court tonight was senior guard Carl Jones. Jones who is third all-time in scoring for the Hawks finished his career with a strong game. Scoring 21 points, grabbing 4 rebounds, dishing 3 assists, and collecting 2 steals, Jones has nothing to hang his head about as he exits Hagan Arena for the final time in his playing career tonight. We thank Jones for the countless memories, and wish him the best in all his future endeavors.
So just like that, the Hawks season fizzled out. A season full of promise, leaves nothing but a feeling of disappointment. The Hawks return all key players next season with the exception of Jones, and maybe then they will fulfill their potential. Until next season, THE HAWK WILL NEVER DIE!
Since Phil refuses to develop a bench, I wonder if he'll just let SJU play 4 on 5 every possession next year when Tay's gone.
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