Erik Reynolds II Scores 22 Points and Becomes the Second Leading All-Time Scorer at Saint Joseph’s in their 75 – 63 Victory Over La Salle
PHILADELPHIA, PA 2/12/2025 –
The Saint Joseph’s Hawks and the La Salle Explorers faced each other for the second time this season. The Hawks have won both, this time a 75 – 63 decision at the Hagan Arena. During the game St. Joe’s guard Erik Reynolds II hit a three-point shot at the 19:41 mark of the second half to become the second player in program history to reach the 2,000-point plateau. He is also the 19th player in Big Five history to reach the mark. The last player to do so was Scottie Reynolds of Villanova in 2010. He became aware of the mark during a time out.
“It was pretty crazy,” Reynolds II observed. “I had a quick moment of appreciation and thankful, but I tried a lot backing into the game.”
“Erik has been a transformational human being for this program,” Saint Joseph’s Coach Billy Lange said about Reynolds II. “A lot of people that are in that locker room and a lot of the staff members that we have been attracted to the program because of the things Erik does, because of the type of person that he is. It’s great that he reached that milestone.”
Earlier in the game Reynolds II became the second leading scorer at Hawk Hill also on a three-point basket with 4:38 left until halftime. He had 22 points in the game to give Reynolds II 2,012 career-points behind Jameer Nelson who scored 2,094 for the Hawks.
This Game, This Moment
The two teams are the most familiar rival to one another meeting for the 130th time. They are Big Five rivals and Atlantic 10 rivals. The game played out they way, very competitive until the last two and a half minutes when the Hawks pulled away by a 10 – 2 run down the stretch keyed by Reynolds II and fellow backcourt mate Xzayvier Brown.
“Anytime Big Five happens, it’s just heated,” Reynolds II said. “It’s always a great brand of basketball. I’m happy to be a part of that. And La Salle is a good team, so it makes it even better, and it was a Big Five matchup too.”
La Salle had the better first half leading 31 – 24 at halftime. St. Joe’s shot less than 30% in the opening stanza. The Hawks battled back early in the second half taking a 46 – 45 lead on fast break layup off a turnover by Brown at 11:42. That began a stretch of 3:18 when the lead changed hands on the next seven scores. Neither team could separate from one another.
“I think where the familiarity helps us is just understanding how competitive the La Salle St. Joe’s game is. It’s always been that way
“It’s a typical city game and these days a typical Atlantic 10 game,” said La Salle Coach Fran Dunphy. “I think we learned some things about ourselves tonight, so I’m proud of our effort.”
The Game Deciding Run
The teams stayed close with the Hawks holding the lead. The Explorers pulled to within 62 – 61 with 2:35 on the clock. Reynolds II scored the next six points on a traditional three-point play and a basket from beyond the arc. Brown would get the next 5 points on a shot from distance, then two free throws for a 73 – 61 lead with under a minute to play.
“We had a moment where we just bought in to what we had to do, and really locked in,” Reynolds II said. “The more we buckle down on defense that naturally ups our offense to a higher level, and we’ll move a lot faster and play together more.”
The offense began to click, but the defense is what turned the game toward St. Joe’s. The Explorers turned the ball over twice and missed a one-and-one free throw attempt and got only one field goal attempt.
“I thought our defense kept the game within striking distance despite the way we played offensively,” Lange said.
What the Numbers Say
Reynolds II made 8 of 19 shots, went 3 of 10 form beyond the arc, sank all 3 free throws, and pulled down a team-best 7 rebounds. Brown added 21 points and assisted a game-high 4 times. This is his 8th game this season where Brown has scored 20 or more points. Saint Joseph’s scored 51 second half points on 16 of 27 shooting. Rasheer Fleming was limited to 8 points and fouled out.
Anthony Finkley played a collegiate-best 34 minutes. La Salle has been a good rebounding team. SJU tied them on the boards with 34 rebounds apiece.
Deuce Jones led the Explorers with a game-high tying 22 points and pulled down 9 caroms tying his career-high. He went 8 of 9 from the free throw line.
“Deuce was great today, I was very pleased with how he played,” Dunphy said.
Corey McKeithan had 11 points. Mac Etienne contributed 10 points and 8 rebounds. La Salle had 6 assists on 22 made baskets.
Up Next
Saint Joseph’s (15 – 9, 6 – 5) won its second straight game and is tied for 5th place in the league. They will have a big test over the weekend playing at league leading George Mason.
La Salle (12 – 13, 4 – 8) is on a three-game losing skid. The Explorers will try to right the ship at Rhode Island on Saturday.
The rivals will play again at La Salle to end the regular season on March 8. There is a chance they will play each other as many as four times this season.
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: Glenn@PhillyCollegeSports.com
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