Texas A&M-Commerce hands St. Joseph’s its first loss of the season
Junior guard Lynn Greer III scored 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting but also committed four turnovers as the Hawks shot 27% from the field and 20% from three.
St. Joseph’s had a chance to start 4-0 for the first time since 2003-04, but instead couldn’t overcome its poor shooting performance and sloppy ball security in a 57-54 loss Texas A&M Commerce on Friday at Hagan Arena.
The Lions (2-4) turned up the pressure from the get-go, and the Hawks (3-1) failed to respond until it was too late.
“We have to just keep getting better,” St. Joe’s fifth-year head coach Billy Lange said. “We learned that the ball has to move faster. We have to cut harder. We have to learn that you have to finish through contact. We have to learn how to pursue defensive rebounds when tough shots are taken.
Junior guard Lynn Greer III scored 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting but also committed four turnovers. Hawks leading scorer Erik Reynolds II finished with 11 points after a scoreless first half, and Xzayvier Brown added 11 of his own.
The Hawks shot 27% from the field and 20% from three.
Texas A&M-Commerce, which never trailed, was more than ready. Its defense gave St. Joe’s fits early on and helped force 11 turnovers, record eight steals, and block six shots.
Lange pointed out that the Hawks were familiar with that defense style from a preseason scrimmage with Providence. Still, even once the Hawks settled in, they couldn’t hit enough shots to take a lead.
“We missed good shots, and you have to make them,” Lange said. “We missed challenged shots at the rim that are a decision. Do you finish? Do you kick it out?
“When teams dial up pressure like they did, you have to play harder on offense. That’s what we’ll take out of that.”
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The Lions weren’t perfect offensively either, hitting 36.2% of their field goals, but they got big-time shots down the stretch from Tommie Lewis. The 6-foot-2 senior finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds and shot 50% from three.
Texas A&M Commerce also snapped St. Joe’s four-game winning streak at Hagan Arena dating back to last season.
“Like I said in there, our goal is not to be undefeated. That’s not our goal,” Lange said. “Our goal is not to win every home game. We would love for those things to happen, but our [goal] is to be the most united team we can be by the end of the season.”
St. Joe’s has the weekend to regroup before heading south to face No. 17 Kentucky on Monday (7 p.m., SEC Network).
After Kentucky, Lange’s squad will head back to Hawk Hill for a matchup against Sacred Heart (1 p.m., Nov. 26) before traveling to Villanova (6:30 p.m., Nov. 29; FS1), where an appearance in the first-ever Big 5 Classic championship game will be on the line.
This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.