By Sean Kennedy (@PhillyFastBreak)
Saint Joseph’s 82, Drexel 81 – Box Score
Whether you’re talking NBA scouts, members of a raucous student section, or humble online bloggers, everyone in Hagan Arena Friday night had their eyes on DeAndre Bembry. Projected to be a late first-round pick in next summer’s draft, the 6’6″ St. Joe’s junior is the biggest reason for excitement on Hawk Hill heading into this 2015-16 season.
“I’m really disappointed for Philadelphia that this wasn’t Damion Lee vs. DeAndre Bembry,” Hawks coach Phil Martelli opined after the game, referring to the former Drexel star who transferred to Lousville this offseason.
Even without Lee, it initially looked as though Bembry would provide all the star power onlookers needed, scoring on the game’s first possession and helping the Hawks jump out to a 18-4 lead. Drexel had difficulty playing without fouling, as St. Joe’s found itself in the bonus with a whopping 14:41 remaining in the first half. A few minutes later, Drexel coach Bruiser Flint wasted no team in earning his first technical of the year.
“This is college basketball. You call 7 straight calls against a team, you think the coach isn’t gonna say something,” Flint later remarked.
Maybe their coach getting fired up yet again was the spark Drexel needed, because the Dragons began to claw their way back into the game. Terrell Allen, a true freshman point guard out of Maryland, showed he will not look out of place at this level. Allen dropped 18 points on 7-13 shooting and collected 4 steals, adding a tremendous doze of speed for the Dragons in the open court.
Meanwhile, Drexel senior Tavon Allen (I’m sure there being two T. Allen’s will never grow confusing this season) came off the bench after just returning to practice from an injury this Tuesday. Tavon wasn’t even expected to play much, but received extend minutes due to the Dragons’ foul trouble, and responded with a team-high 20 points on 3-6 shooting from behind the arc.
Yet, the Hawks were always able to keep Drexel at arms-length throughout the contest. Bembry was solid, if unspectacular, on the night, scoring a game-high 23 points by making 11 of his 15 free throw attempts. However, the bigger news in terms of raising the ceiling for St. Joe’s this season was the strong play from guys up and down the roster, something Phil Martelli spoke to after the contest:
“It’s only depth if you can play and these guys can play and I have confidence in them.”
Senior Isaiah Miles recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds; the forward hit a couple outside jumpers while also remaining extremely active on the glass on both ends. Fellow senior Aaron Brown was second on the team to Bembry with 15 points, in just 21 minutes. Brown showed a great knack for slashing into the lane and finishing around the rim, as Martelli would point out:
“Aaron Brown I thought was great offensively…He’s a wing this year, last year he was an undersized power forward…He won the competition, and it was a fierce competition between him, James Demery and Chris Clover…He won it because he makes baskets.”
It wasn’t even all upperclassmen chipping in, as Pierfrancesco Oliva, a freshman from Italy, plunged the dagger into the heart of the Dragons. With two and a half mintues left, ‘Checko’ hit a huge three to extend the Hawks lead to 12 and effectively end the game (a buzzer three by Drexel made the final score look closer than it actually was).
In the end, St. Joe’s not only got the win, but learned they can count on more than DeAndre Bembry to carry the load, something that plagued them last year when he was forced to do too much. As for Drexel, they can take solace in the fact that they continually fought back until literally the final whistle. If this is the type of game fans can expect this season when city rivals clash, get your popcorn ready.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
