Men's Basketball | Hawks need crucial win in Charlotte to help make conference tourney

Tonight, the Saint Joseph's University men's basketball team takes on the Charlotte 49ers in North Carolina. The Hawks are in rough shape, as their record currently stands at 9-18 (3-10 in the A-10) with only three games left in the season.

The Hawks have only three games left to dig themselves out of the hole they are now in and get back into contention for the Atlantic 10 tournament. The two bottom teams in the conference do not make the A- 10 tournament and, as we speak, the Hawks are one of those two teams, along with Fordham.

What has put them in this situation is their recent results. The Hawks have had trouble notching wins as of late. Losers of seven of their last eight and owners of a current four-game losing skid, one thing is certain: to have a chance of making the A-10 tournament, St. Joe's needs this win.  

The game against Charlotte marks the end of a treacherous three-game set for the Hawks. The first two did not end well in their favor, losing 88-52 and 75-67 to Xavier and Temple respectively. Hopefully the Hawks will be able to right the ship and get back to winning. 

To do so, though, the Hawks will have to beat a top-five team in the conference in the 49ers. As of late, Charlotte has hit a rough patch themselves, losing three in a row as they face off against the Hawks. With two teams trying to get back into the win column, it should be a hard fought battle on the hardwood. 

In order to beat the 49ers, the Hawks will have to limit their opponent's top scorers. Charlotte's big man, Shamari Spears, is the team's leading scorer, averaging 16.4 points per game this season. Spears uses his size, 6-foot-6, 245 lbs., to push around his opponents and to get his points inside. The other leading scorer on the team is Derrio Green, a 6-foot-2 guard who can pour it in, scoring over 14 points per contest this season. 

These two players are what drive the third highest scoring offense in the conference. To have a shot at the win, the Hawks will almost definitely have to limit their production tonight.

The Hawks must also address some offensive issues as well. As of late, their offense has been struggling, only averaging about 59 points per game in their last four contests, and have been relying more on just a few players to score than having a more balanced team scoring attack.  The Hawk guards have been carrying the load over the past few games, and in order to beat Charlotte, they will need to get an inside scoring presence tonight and down this home stretch.

With the season winding down and their chances to make the A-10 tournament dwindling, the Hawks need this win. Going on the road and trying to steal a win against one of the top teams in the conference will be tough, but with their back against the wall, the Hawks need to pull out all the stops.