St. Francis 79, St. Joseph’s 63: Stats, highlights, and reaction from Hawks’ loss

It was like watching two different games at times. St. Joseph’s offense came out in the second half and looked completely different.

The Hawks surpassed their first-half scoring total in just 12 minutes in the second half, but they still were trailing. They rallied to tie the game midway through the second half but couldn’t get over the top.

St. Francis defeated St. Joe’s 79-63, ending the game on a 13-0 run.

The St. Joe’s offense couldn’t throw a bucket into the bottom of the ocean in the first half. The Hawks shot 26% in the first half, but they were still down only nine because of the defense.

Ryan Daly scored 12 of his team-high 23 points in the second half. Lorenzo Edwards made four three-pointers and finished with 14 points.

The Hawks (2-6) shot 31% from the field and allowed the Red Flash (3-4) to shoot 48%. Glassboro native Keith Braxton led the Red Flash with 26 points.

“We had a couple chances at the rim late in the game that I thought could have given our guys a little push and momentum, and we didn’t convert those,” St. Joe’s coach Billy Lange said. “We have work to do, and we know that.”

“They pressured the perimeter and got us out of our rhythm,” St. Joe’s Ryan Daly said. “They were physical too and kind of walled me up every chance they had."

“We’re not a team that can play flat-footed,” Lange said. “If we’re not moving the ball at a half-second speed by either cutting, passing, screening, or ball-reversal, we’re going to struggle.”

The energy in the second half was contagious. The Hawks were diving everywhere for loose balls and increased the intensity by forcing the Red Flash into tough shots.

Daly was guarded in a way he hasn’t seen much this season. The Red Flash denied Daly full court and made it difficult for him to run the offense. That led to a lot of stagnant ball movement.

It won’t show in the stat sheet, but offensive rebounds hurt the Hawks. St. Joe’s finished the game with a 17-13 offensive rebounding edge, but the Red Flash had timely rebounds that led to second-chance opportunities and derailed hopes of a Hawks comeback.