City of Basketball Love

Stephen Pianovich (@SPianovich)
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St. Joseph's won its sixth consecutive game and 13th in its last 14 on Wednesday night, pulling away from Massachusetts, 78-70.

At first...
The game had an ugly start for both teams. UMass turned the ball over seven times and committed seven fouls in the first nine minutes, but St. Joe's could not capitalize and turn it into a large lead. The Hawks shot an ugly 31.3 percent in the first half and made just two of their 12 3-point attempts.

Turning point...
Out of the halftime gate, St. Joe's looked like a different team. The Hawks hit two 3-pointers in the half's first three minutes, and with 14 minutes left in the game, they had a 46-35 lead thanks to a 17-5 run. UMass narrowed the lead down to four points a few minutes later, but this run gave St. Joe's some leeway.

Shining stars...
Isaiah Miles finished with a game-high 27 points and also added 12 rebounds. Miles went 9-for-11 from the line, which actually knocked down his season percentage, which was 90.4 when he entered the game. James Demery added 11 points off the bench for St. Joe's, and also helped defensively on UMass' top scorer, Trey Davis.

Noteworthy numbers...
St. Joe's shot 40 free throws and made 29, while UMass was just 10-for-17 from the line. ...Both Miles and DeAndre' Bembry played all 40 minutes for the Hawks. ...St. Joe's followed up its 31.3 percent first half FG percentage with a 48 percent clip in the final 20 minutes.

Up next...
St. Joe's (17-3, 6-1 Atlantic 10) at Rhode Island (Jan. 30, 6 p.m.)
UMass (8-11, 1-6)  vs. Fordham (Jan. 30, Noon)