City of Basketball Love

Stephen Pianovich (@SPianovich)
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In the brightest highlight from St. Joseph’s 79-70 win over No. 15 Dayton on Sunday, James Demery slammed home an alley-oop on a pass that came from about 30 feet away.

The perfect pass came from Lamarr Kimble, who finished the game with 13 points (tying a career-high) and five assists. In the Hawks’ biggest game of the year to date, the Neumann-Goretti grad known as “Fresh” delivered again in a big way.

The freshman has looked like anything but a first-year player, and after the win over the Flyers, coach Phil Martelli noted “Fresh is older than a freshman.”

The 6-foot point guard has been in the spotlight for a few years, running offenses in meaningful games for the Saints – including eight Philadelphia Catholic League playoff games at the Palestra – and with Team Final on the AAU circuit. High stakes are a welcome sight for Kimble.

He had nine of his points and four of his dimes in the second half against Dayton, as the Hawks pulled away for their first win over a ranked opponent since the end of the 2013-14 season. That included a pair of 3-pointers, the second of which stretched St. Joe’s lead from six to nine points with about five minutes left.

“He’s played so many games and big games: League championships and state championships, national games,” Martelli said. “Those two threes, a lot of freshmen that we’ve had, short of the greatest in Jameer (Nelson), would be shaking their arms, magically wanting the ball to go from their hand to the basket. He shot the ball, he thought it was going in.”

Kimble noted afterward that he enjoys embracing the moment in big games, saying he is a fan of the intensity and a large crowd. And on the same night his alma mater advanced to yet another PCL title game a few miles away, Kimble, who comes off the bench, finished the game as St. Joe’s point guard.

“I’ve been confident my whole life,” he said. “When shots come like that, I’m ready to take them. My teammates trust me, my coaches trust me, I’ve put in the work. Big shots like that are nothing new to me.”

Kimble’s real coming out party came in another touted matchup for the Hawks, as he scored 11 points and hit a trio of 3-pointers in a 66-65 overtime win against Temple in December. He’s had a learning curve like any freshman, but Kimble has been progressing as the season has gone along.

Kimble is averaging 5.4 points and 2.4 assists per game in 17 minutes backing up Shavar Newkirk. But in the Hawks’ last 10 games, he’s posting 8.2 points and 3.1 helpers.

He’s just been part of a deep St. Joe’s offense that has posted 78.1 points per game in conference play, a number that ties the team with Duquesne for third-best in the Atlantic 10. And the Hawks posted 79 against Dayton, the league’s top defense, with five players scoring at least 12 points.

On paper, it would seem the Hawks have a good chance of posting another large number in their next game, facing Davidson (11th in the league defensively), on Saturday at 2 p.m. on the road.

In a three-way deadlock for first place, every game is important for the Hawks for the rest of the season, and with a few more victories, they should lock up an NCAA Tournament berth. That would be welcomed news for Kimble, because there’s not many bigger stages in college sports than March Madness.

“For me to have this turnaround and the chance to be on this team, I’m blessed for the opportunity I have,” Kimble said after the win over Dayton. “We’ve worked so hard, I’m glad to see some success come out of it.”