Finish strong. That is what the mantra for the rest of the season should be for the Hawks. With two games remaining on their schedule, the Saint Joseph's University men's basketball team should concentrate on ending on a good note for the season.
Tonight, St. Joe's squares off against the George Washington Colonials in Washington, D.C.
The Colonials are currently tied for eighth place in the Atlantic 10 with a 6-8 record (16- 11 overall) and are coming off a big win. This past week, George Washington took down Charlotte, a top five team in the A-10, 75-70, getting a big game from their sophomore guard Tony Taylor.
Taylor is the third leading scorer on the team, along with the duo of Damian Hollis and Kromah Lasan. These three make up much of the offense for George Washington. Lasan and Taylor make up the backcourt for the Colonials, providing the shooting while Hollis is their inside man who can compete with the opposing big men.
GW ranks fourth and fifth in scoring offense and defense in the A-10, respectively. They rely on their ability to play well on both sides of the floor to get their wins. If the Hawks can find a way to penetrate either one, stopping their offensive weapons on defense or pouring it in on offense, the Hawks could come away with the win.
The Hawks finish up their regular season at home with a game against city and conference foe, La Salle. This game could have huge complications, most likely being a play-in game for the A-10 tournament. Only one of these teams will make the conference tournament and it seems as if the winner of this game will probably be that team.
On late Saturday afternoon, the Explorers will drive up the Roosevelt Boulevard to face off against the Hawks. La Salle is led by guard Rodney Green. Green leads La Salle in scoring and assists with about 18 points a game and four assists. Green uses his 6-foot-5 frame to take advantage on offense, often backing down smaller guards on the interior to score a good amount of his points.
La Salle also comes equipped with a highly touted and very capable big man in Aaric Murray. Murray was considered one of the top centers in the country when he graduated high school this past year and he has been very good for La Salle in his first year. At 6-foot-10 and 245 pounds, he is a terror on the inside and has shown flashes of greatness this year. Murray averages just under 13 points a game and about 6 boards for the Explorers and is clearly their best big man.
La Salle's other starters, Yves Mekongo, Jerrell Williams, and Kimmani Barrett, all average double digits in scoring. La Salle seemingly has a high-powered offense, but they do have one downfall: their bench.
La Salle's bench is lacking, to say the least. Where the Hawks can take advantage of the Explorers is by getting into their bench and exposing them for what they aren't.
By all means, this game is a must win. Regardless if they are in the hunt for the A-10 tournament or not, they want to win their last game and end their season on a high note.
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