Young St. Joseph's squad takes big step with win over Siena

It can be tempting to cover your eyes while watching freshmen take baby steps on the basketball court, because there will be stumbles.

That's how it's been so far this season for St. Joseph's, which starts three freshmen and employs two more off the bench.

But the rest of the teams in the Atlantic Ten are not going to stand by and allow the Hawks to evolve unencumbered. So, with conference play beginning Wednesday, it was important for the players to start feeling better about themselves.

The Hawks did so with Friday's 58-48 win over Siena at Hagan Arena in their first home game since Dec. 8. It was their second consecutive win after laboring through a six-game losing streak against a nonconference schedule that offered few powder puffs.

St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli was quick to point out that Siena (4-8) was at a disadvantage playing without guard Clarence Jackson, a senior from Cherokee High in Marlton, Burlington County, who sat out his third straight game with a sprained ankle.

Jackson, with a 16.9-point average, is the Saints' second-leading scorer.

"The fact they had to play shorthanded obviously played into how well we could guard them," Martelli said. "I would have liked to have seen [Jackson] have a chance to play. It may have diminished our chances, but college basketball should be about experiences. Hopefully, he'll get healthy."

Once again, the Hawks (5-8) were led by sophomore guard Carl Jones, who had 17 points and four assists with only two turnovers in 35 minutes. Three of Jones' teammates also reached double figures.

Sophomore guard Justin Crosgile came off the bench to score 11. He had three of the Hawks' five three-point baskets. C.J. Aiken had 10 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots. The lithe 6-9 freshman played a significant role with an energetic second half, bunching together eight points and blocking three shots at a point when the game could have swung in either direction.

Freshman guard Langston Galloway had 10 points and six rebounds.

Aiken, who was the Pennsylvania Player of the Year for Plymouth Whitemarsh High last year, is one of the more intriguing talents on the St. Joe's roster. He already has established himself as a superior shot-blocker, leading the A-10 with 43 blocked shots. He has a soft touch around the baseline, but he is reed-thin at 185 pounds and needs to develop his offense around the basket.

"He really doesn't have a back-to-the-basket game yet," Martelli said. "He has a game where he can make face-up jumpers and he can dunk. His offensive game is still a work in progress. It's more about his comfort level. C.J.'s a guy who never wants to be uncomfortable because then he'll go into a shell."

The Hawks were holding a 43-41 edge when Aiken went on a brief spree, scoring on a reverse layup followed by a free throw, a putback, and a dunk. Three of his blocks were in the second half as St. Joe's went ahead by seven.

"I see a lot of progress," Jones said. "The freshmen are starting to feel more comfortable. They're beginning to get the hang of it."

Martelli was more muted in his assessment of his team, but he sees progress in two areas - defense and turnovers. The Hawks had a season-low five turnovers. It was the fourth straight game they had fewer than 10 turnovers.

"In both [wins] I saw an attention to detail on defense that during the losing streak we didn't have," he said. "We were just kind of out there winging it defensively. But we have to get it on every possession, though, not on some possessions."