The St. Joe’s Hawks continued their season in the first round of the NIT against UAB on Wednesday night at Hagan Arena.
Unfortunately for the (3)Hawks, their season would come to an end as they would fall to UAB 69-65, and for the second straight season, St. Joe’s, who lost to eventual NIT champion Seton Hall in the first round last season, season ends in the first round of the NIT.
The Hawks, who led 33-32 at halftime, took control early in the second half. After an Xzayvier Brown layup, who had a game-high 21 points, St. Joe’s took their largest lead of the game at 49-41 with just a little under 14 minutes to go. Following two Anthony Finkley free throws, the Hawks led 61-56 with just under five minutes left in the contest.
However, UAB went on a 10-0 run, punctuated by a Christian Coleman dunk, to take a 66-61 lead with 85 seconds left.
With the Blazers up 67-65 and 11 seconds to go, St. Joe’s had an opportunity to tie the game, and they put the ball in the hands of the university’s all-time leading scorer, Eric Reynolds II, and his mid-range jumper looked as if it was going in, but it was coming off the rim just slightly, and Rasheer Fleming tried to tip it in, but it was still on the cylinder and basket interference was called. UAB Ja’Borri McGhee would make two free throws, and that would seal the deal for the Blazers.
Yaxel Lendeborg led UAB with 16 points, 17 rebounds, and three steals. Coleman added 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Finkley had 12 points for St. Joe’s, and Justice Ajogbor added four points, ten rebounds, and a career-high eight blocks.
In his last game collegiate game, Reynolds had eight points on 3/11 shooting, and Fleming, who could declare for the draft, battled foul trouble all game long and had only six points in 18 minutes of action.
We hear all the time in the NBA that it is a make-or-miss league, and on Wednesday, St. Joe’s could not consistently make shots. They ended the game shooting only 33% from the field and 7/33(21%) from deep. UAB wasn’t much better, as they shot 37% from the field.
The Blazers will continue their season on Sunday when they go on the road to battle Santa Clara in the second round of the NIT, while the Hawks will ponder what could have been.
This game was very winnable for St. Joe’s, but it appeared UAB wore them down, and in the end, that’s one of the reasons the Blazers will move on.
