The Hawks Season Ends With A 66 – 62 Loss to the Blazers
PHILADELPHIA, PA. 3/10/2025 –
It is March basketball. For some teams the season continues. For others it comes to an abrupt end. That is what happened to the Saint Joseph’s Hawks who drop a physical, competitive game 66 – 62 to the UAB Blazers at the Hagan Arena in an opening round of the National Invitation Tournament.
“It hurts not to be able to keep going,” said Saint Joseph’s Coach Billy Lange. “We played well enough to win the day, and this is what March is all about. Our defense was good enough to win this game.”
Blazers forward Yakel Lendeborg from Pennsauken, NJ, scored a team-high 16 points and took down a game-best 17 rebounds.
For Saint Joseph’s Xzayvier Brown put in a game-high 21 points. Center Justice Ajogbor had 10 rebounds and set a collegiate-best in blocked shots rejecting eight. That was one swat shy of the NIT single game record.
UAB Holds off St. Joe’s at the End
The game went back and forth. St. Joe’s took command at the beginning of the second half. With 6:01 remaining a jumper by Derek Simpson gave the Hawks a 59 – 54 lead. That would be the last SJU basket for nearly five minutes as they got just two free throws in that span. Meanwhile UAB went on a 12 – 2 run.
“We had a lull offensively,” Lange said. We missed a couple of around the rim and out shots. And that lull hurt us because we were fouling at that time”
The Hawks got the next four points. Then after a missed free throw by Lendeborg gave Saint Joseph’s the ball down by 67 – 65 as twenty-three seconds showed on the clock.
SJU all-time leading scorer Erik Reynolds II got open at the foul line and put up a jumper. It hit the rim twice. Rasheer Fleming went up and touched the ball while in the cylinder. The basket was disallowed. On the inbounds St. Joe’s almost got a turnover. Then UAB out the game away at the foul line.
What the Numbers Say
Anthony Finkley scored 12 points while Simpson added 11. Reynolds scored 7 points in his final game as a collegian.
Christian Coleman contributed 15 points for UAB, The Blazers who rank fifth in offensive rebounding took down 18 off the offensive glass with Lendeborg and Bradley Ezewiro getting 5 each. UAB had an 18 – 6 edge in second chance points, and a 34 – 25 advantage in total rebounds.
The Season Finishes
Saint Joseph’s ends the campaign with a 22 – 13 record. Much like last season it ended in the Atlantic 10 semifinal and a first round loss in the NIT. It ends quickly and for all but a very few teams, and the final loss is the last memory. But the realization that this team played in the post season is not lost on the Hawks.
“I’m definitely sad because you always want to win,” said Brown. “But I’m grateful for the opportunity to play in March. So many people want to play and so many teams are sitting at home right now that wish they were playing today. I know when I was younger I want to play as much as possible. So regardless of its March Madness or the NIT, I’m just grateful to play today.”
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: Glenn@PhillyCollegeSports.com
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