January 10, 2009 | AP Press

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Ahmad Nivins had 28 points and a career-high 20 rebounds, Darrin Govens added 21 points and Saint Joseph’s outlasted Rhode Island 92-86 in triple overtime Saturday in the Atlantic 10 opener for both teams.

Tasheed Carr scored 14 points and Idris Hilliard 13 for the Hawks (7-7), who won consecutive games for the first time this season. Nivins had the first 20-point, 20-rebound game of his career.

Jimmy Baron scored 19 points, Kahiem Seawright 17 and Keith Cothran 14 for the Rams (11-5), who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Seawright surpassed the 1,000-point mark, becoming the 47th Rhode Island player to reach the milestone.

It was the longest game for Saint Joseph’s since a 127-120, four-overtime win over Utah in the consolation round of the NCAA tournament in March 1961.

Govens hit a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left in the second overtime to give the Hawks an 80-77 lead. But Cothran hit a 3-pointer from the wing at the buzzer to force a third extra period. The officials reviewed the shot on replay and ruled the shot good.

In the third overtime, Nivins hit a layup to give Saint Joseph’s an 85-81 advantage with 2:03 left. Nine seconds later, Rhode Island coach Jim Baron was whistled for a technical foul. But Nivins missed both free throws. He came back just a few seconds later and hit 1 of 2 from the line to give the Hawks a five-point lead, 86-81, with 1:40 remaining.

Baron’s third 3-pointer of the game cut the lead to 86-84 with 1:23 remaining. At that point, the Rhode Island coach called for a timeout, but the Rams didn’t have any remaining and were whistled for a technical foul.

Carr made one of the two free throws and Nivins followed with a layup with 54.9 seconds left to give the Hawks an 89-84 lead.

January 3, 2009 | AP Press

MUNCIE, Ind. — Ahmad Nivins scored 19 points and Tasheed Carr had 18 as Saint Joseph’s overcame a slow start for a 63-55 victory over Ball State on Saturday.

Ball State (5-7) held a 20-11 lead midway through the first half as Jarrod Jones scored eight early points and Malik Perry added seven for the Cardinals. That lead soon disappeared as Carr scored 11 points during a 17-4 run that gave the Hawks a four-point halftime lead.

The Hawks (6-7) never let Ball State get closer than five points in the second half as they held the Cardinals to 40 percent shooting for the game.

Carr hit all four of his free-throw shots in the final minute to help seal the victory.

Jones and Anthony Newell led Ball State as each had 16 points and nine rebounds.

Ball State outrebounded the Hawks 38-29, but committed 15 turnovers to 10 for Saint Joseph’s.

December 31, 2008 | AP Press

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Scott Rodgers scored 18 points as Drexel used two second-half runs and held off city rival Saint Joseph’s 64-52 Wednesday night.

Jamie Harris added 16 points for Drexel (4-6).

Tasheed Carr scored 19 points and Ahmad Nivins 16 for Saint Joseph’s (5-7).

Leading 35-30 with 15:48 left, the Dragons went on an 11-4 run, then, after a free throw by Carr, scored 12 of the next 14 points to lead 58-37 at the 3:58 mark.

Saint Joseph’s went on a 15-1 run to close within 59-52 with 32 seconds left, but could get no closer.

The Hawks used an early 10-0 run to take a 20-9 advantage, and led 26-16 with four minutes left in the first half.

Harris then sparked a 16-2 run and hit a 30-footer at the halftime buzzer that gave Drexel a 30-28 advantage at the break.

December 28, 2008 | AP Press

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Ryan Rossiter hit two free throws with 2.4 seconds left as Siena rallied from an 18-point second half deficit and defeated Saint Joseph’s 75-74 Sunday night.

Clarence Jackson had a career-high 28 points, Edwin Ubiles 12 and Rossiter 11 for Siena (7-4), which has won five of its last six games.

Idris Hilliard had a career-high 20 points and Ahmad Nivins 15 for the Hawks (5-6), who committed 19 turnovers.

Saint Joseph’s led 44-39 at the half, then went on a 17-4 run to lead 61-43 with 15:05 left. The Saints’ pressing defense then sparked a 19-4 spurt, cutting the lead to 65-62.

Saint Joseph’s moved ahead 68-64, but Jackson scored twice to forge a 68-all tie with 4:36 remaining. Ubiles hit a 3-pointer with two minutes left to give Siena its first lead of the second half, 73-72. Then, a layup by Hilliard with 12.7 to go put the Hawks back on top.

The Hawks’ Tasheed Carr then stole the ball and was fouled with 9.5 seconds left. But Carr missed the first of a 1-and-1, leading to Rossiter’s game-winning points.

December 22, 2008 by John Lamb | A10CollegeHoops

PHILADELPHIA –  All-American candidate Ahmad Nivins scored 26 points to lead the Saint Joe’s Hawks to a hard-fought 71-67 victory over the Cornell Big Red on Monday night in Philadelphia.

The Hawks battled from as many 15 points down to seal the come-from-behind victory. Head coach Phil Martelli said after the game that the last game before Christmas is always hard for his team.

“The hardest game of the year is that one, after exams and prior to Christmas,” said Martelli. “Because you forget that the are 18 to 22. The dorm empties and everyone leaves. The way we started the game, they lose that little bit of an edge.”

Nivins scored 16 of his points in the second half. He also pulled down 16 rebounds, including nine on the offensive glass, to pick up his 16th career double-double.

He finished the game with a very efficient shooting line of 10-of-13 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the line. There were several NBA scouts in attendance that had to have come away impressed with the way the 6-9 forward played.

Sophomore forward Idris Hilliard also put together a double-double with 14 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.

“Tonight [Hilliard] was a victim of a lethargic start and I had to take him out,” said Martelli. “Idris answered the call at both ends of the floor. He became more involved defensively. We are still not all the way there yet but that would be a big step forward if we can get another guy to score the ball.”

Junior forward Ryan Wittman led the Big Red (5-6) with 16 points. Reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Louis Dale scored 15 points and looks to be back to 100 percent after missing the first eight games of the year due to an injury.

Sophomore forward Adam Wire collected a team-high six rebounds for Cornell.

The Big Red had a chance to tie the game late but Dale was the recipient of a questionable charging call that put Hilliard on the foul line for two shots. He split the free throws and extended the lead to four at 70-66 with 20 seconds left in the game.

A Darrin Govens three with just under five minutes remaining ultimately put the Hawks on top for good. Govens finished the night with 15 points, 12 of which coming off of three-pointers.

He drew the ire of his coach after the game, however, due to his not-so-pretty 5-of-15 shooting and spotty defense.

“I don’t leave here jumping for joy when [Govens] is 5-for-15, that means he is 1-for-5 on twos,” said Martelli. “He was not strong defensively in the first half. He is a basketball player, I don’t want him to be just a shooter. He has been very good defensively until tonight.”

Nivins came out of the break on fire as he scored 10 of the Hawks first 14 points of the half. A breakaway Garrett Williamson dunk put the Hawks out in front 46-44 six minutes into the half.

The normally lively Saint Joe’s crowd was rather sedate for most of the game due to a combination of lackluster play on the court and the fact that the students are on break. Williamson gave the home fans something to cheer about, however, when he blocked what looked to be an easy layup for the Big Red’s 7-foot senior center Jeff Foote at the ten minute mark of the second half.

The Hawks used a 20-7 extended run in the second half to push out to a 58-51 lead. The Big Red scored the next nine points and regained a 60-58 lead with 5:05 left on a pair of free throws from Dale.

The Hawks answered on the next trip down the floor as Govens hit what ultimately was the game-deciding three-pointer.

Both teams scored 18 points off of turnovers and the Big Red held their own in the paint, scoring 28 points to Saint Joe’s 30. The Hawks ability to grab offensive rebounds in the second half is what ultimately allowed them to win the game.

They scored 22 points on second-chance opportunities while Cornell only mustered eight. Nivins and Hilliard always seemed to be in the right spots for easy tip-ins and put-backs on missed shots.

Although the Hawks found themselves down 33-32 at halftime, it could have been a lot worse. The Big Red led by as many as 13 points, including an 18-5 advantage about eight minutes into the game.

The Hawks used a 14-6 run, led by senior guard Tasheed Carr and freshman forward Bryant Irwin with six and five points respectively, to cut the Big Red lead to three at 24-21 with 6:32 left to play in the half.

Nivins scored six straight points in the final two minutes of the half to give the Hawks a short-lived lead. Wittman hit a fade-away circus shot as the shot clock expired with three seconds left to put the Big Red back on top going into the break.

Both teams shot well in the first half as Cornell connected on 56 percent of their shots while Saint Joe’s hit 48 percent of theirs.

The Big Red’s Geoff Reeves led all scorers with 11 points, one point shy of his season average, at the half. He finished the game with 15.

Nivins was the Hawks leading scorer in the first half with 10 points. He also pulled down a game high five rebounds through the first 20 minutes. Surprisingly, Martelli was not completely pleased with the way his star played in the first half.

“We had to take him out in the first half because he whined about the ball,” said Martelli. “For ten games he has been as good as you can be in our league. We will hope for better in the next ten games.”

The Hawks are off until next Sunday when Siena visits the Palestra. Cornell will be back in action next Monday when Boston University makes the trip to Ithaca.

POSTGAME AUDIO (right click and save as… if you have trouble hearing this):
Phil Martelli’s Postgame Press Conference

December 11, 2008 | AP Press

VILLANOVA, PA. —  Scottie Reynolds scored 18 points and sank the winning free throws with 4.8 seconds left to lift No. 15 Villanova to a 59-56 win over Saint Joseph’s on Thursday night.

Reynolds was fouled on a driving layup down the lane to put the Wildcats (9-1) in position for the victory over their city rival. The 87-percent free-throw shooter made the first and swished the second for a 57-56 lead.

Dante Cunningham stole in the in-bounds pass, was fouled and clinched the win with two free throws, sending the Villanova student section into a frenzy.

December 9, 2008 | AP Press

TOWSON, MD — Ahmad Nivins scored 25 points and had nine rebounds to lead Saint Joseph’s to an 85-64 victory over Towson on Tuesday night.

Darrin Govens added 22 points for the Hawks (4-4).

Junior Hairston led Towson (4-5), which has lost four of its past five games, with 16 points.

Saint Joseph’s led 38-31 at halftime but outscored the Tigers 29-14 over the next 10 minutes for a 67-45 advantage. Nivins, who entered the game averaging 18.3 points and 11.7 rebounds, and Govens combined to score 16 points in that span.

Tasheed Carr scored 11 points and Garrett Williamson added eight points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Hawks.

Brian Morris scored 14 points for Towson.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Ahmad Nivins – Saint Joseph’s
Senior, Forward, 6-9, 235 lbs.
Jersey City, N.J./St. Anthony’s HS

Nivins earns his second career A-10 Player of the Week honor after
averaging 19 points and 14 rebounds over two contests…scored 20
points and pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds in Saint Joseph’s
77-64 win at Lehigh on Dec. 2…had a team-high 18 points and 11 boards
on Dec. 6 versus Creighton…made 12-of-18 field goal attempts in the
two games…leads the A-10 with five double-doubles on the year.

B.J. Raymond – Xavier
Senior, Guard, 6-6, 226 lbs.
Toledo, Ohio/St. John’s Jesuit HS

In Xavier’s lone contest of the week versus Auburn on Dec. 3,
Raymond scored a career-high 32 points on 10-of-13 shooting and added
six boards in the Musketeers’ 81-74 victory…drained a career-best
seven three-pointers in nine attempts…leads XU in scoring (13.7
ppg.).

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Andrew Nicholson – St. Bonaventure
Freshman, Forward, 6-9, 230 lbs.
Mississaugua, Ontario/Father Michael Goetz Secondary HS

Nicholson scored a season-high 16 points, grabbed nine rebounds and
tied a program-record with eight blocks on Dec. 6 as St. Bonaventure
downed Princeton, 60-53, in the Bonnies’ lone contest of the
week…made four-of-six shots from the field and 8-for-11 from the
line, including all four of his foul shots in the final two
minutes…is the first SBU student-athlete in program annals to earn
three A-10 Rookie of the Week awards.

December 6, 2008 | AP Press

PHILADELPHIA — Booker Woodfox scored a career-high 29 points and Creighton survived a furious Saint Joseph’s rally and defeated the Hawks 69-58 Saturday night.

Woodfox hit on 9-of-13 shots, including 7-of-9 three pointers while his team made 13-of-28 from beyond the arc, both season highs.

Ahmad Nivins had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks (3-4), while Darrin Govens added 13 points.

The Blue Jays (5-2) led 58-37 with 7:52 left to play in the game when the Hawks went on an 18-3 run, and two straight layups by Tasheed Carr cut the lead to 61-55 with 1:07 to go.

However, P’Allen Stinnett and Woodfox each made two free throws to end the threat.

The game was played at the Palestra, Saint Joseph’s home court this year, as its own campus facility is undergoing renovations.

December 2, 2008 | AP Press

BETHLEHEM, PA — Ahmad Nivins scored a game-high 20 points and added 17 rebounds to lead St. Joseph’s to a 77-64 victory over Lehigh on Tuesday night.

Darrin Govens added 16 points and Idris Hilliard contributed 15 for St. Joseph’s (3-3).

Marquis Hall scored 18 points for Lehigh (5-2) while Zahir Carrington had 13 points, Prentice Small added 12 and Rob Keefer had 10.

The Hawks took a 65-55 lead and then made nine of 10 free throws in the final two minutes, while Lehigh missed six 3-point attempts over the same period.

Govens opened the game with a pair of 3-pointers to start a 10-2 spurt that gave St. Joseph’s the lead for good on the way to a 35-24 halftime lead. Lehigh had a six-point run in the second half to close to within 44-40, but the Hawks answered with a 7-2 run to extend the margin to 51-42.