St. Joseph’s survives late comeback push from Colorado State, advances to second round of NIT
St. Joe’s led for nearly the entire game. Although the Rams got within two points in the final seconds, the Hawks managed to stay on top. Up next, they’ll visit No. 2 seed California.
With seven minutes remaining, St. Joseph’s held an 11-point edge over Colorado State in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament on Wednesday night, but that quickly became a two-point lead with 15 seconds remaining.
Then Colorado State’s luck ran out. The Hawks maintained their lead to secure a 69-64 win at Moby Arena in Fort Collins, Colo. The victory marked St. Joe’s first win in the NIT in 20 years.
St. Joe’s (23-11) will visit No. 2 seed California (22-11) on Sunday (ESPNU, 9 p.m.).
Statistical leaders
St. Joe’s had four players hit double figures, with guards Austin Williford, Derek Simpson, and Jaiden Glover-Toscano scoring 13 apiece. Anthony Finkley added 10. The Hawks shot 39.7% from the field and trailed once for 56 seconds. They also hauled in 41 rebounds, including 19 in the second half and 14 on the offensive glass.
Forward Jevin Muniz led the Rams (21-13) with 14 points, while forward Carey Booth finished with 10 on 4-for-7 shooting and Jase Butler scored 11.
What we saw
St. Joe’s quickly held the upper hand, as Simpson scored the Hawks’ first six points. Finkley tacked on back-to-back three-pointers to cap a 12-2 run six minutes into the game.
But the Rams snapped their three-minute scoring drought with a layup from JoJo McIver. Then a three-pointer slashed the Hawks’ lead to three points.
The Rams went into halftime trailing by 33-28. St. Joe’s continued to maintain its advantage after the break. Glover-Toscano knocked down a three-pointer while Colorado State missed seven of its first eight shots.
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After holding an 11-point lead with seven minutes remaining, the Hawks made just one field goal for the next six minutes. A Booth dunk kick-started a 14-3 run to tie the score with 1 minute, 24 seconds remaining. But the Rams were never able to take the lead as the Hawks regained momentum.
Game changing play
With 1½ minutes left to play, the Hawks were desperate for a boost to keep their season alive. They got it from one of the youngest players on the court.
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The freshman Williford ended St. Joe’s drought by draining a three-pointer with 56 seconds left to retake a 62-59 lead. He made another play by intercepting a pass from Muniz and passing the ball to Simpson. He was fouled by Mciver, and Simpson knocked down a pair of foul shots to secure the win.