PHILADELPHIA (02/01/03) - Down two starters against a team that had already beaten them this season, the Saint Joseph's men's basketball team was primed for its first two-game losing streak of the season. But that was before juniors Jameer Nelson and Tyrone Barley stepped onto the Fieldhouse hardwood. Nelson was his usual self with 18 points and eight assists, while Barley made his second career start a memorable one with 14 points and 10 rebounds, both career highs, as the Hawks (15-3, 6-2 A-10) defeated visiting Rhode Island (12-6, 4-3), 69-53. Playing without senior center Alexandre Sazonov (food poisoning) and sophomore guard Delonte West (team/personal matter), Saint Joseph's used its deep bench to overcome the absence of 20 points and seven rebounds from their two starters. "The toughness and depth of this team came out and we got our energy off our defense," head coach Phil Martelli said. "I'm really delighted with that." Juniors Nelson, Barley and redshirt sophomore John Bryant have spent their whole career (40 conference games) on top of the Atlantic 10, Martelli noted. That was a motivating factor for the Hawks, according to Martelli. "Jameer Nelson has never not been in first place in the Atlantic 10. People want to know who the best player in this league is - that stat speaks volumes," Martelli said. The game started off slow, as neither team connected on a field goal until a Barley three-pointer at the 16:46 mark. Both squads were cold in the early going, as a Nelson layup gave SJU a 16-11 lead after 13 minutes of play. The Hawks would then score 14 of the next 22 points before a Lazare Adingono three at the buzzer cut the St. Joe's lead to 30-22. Despite the relatively close score, URI shot just 26% in the half. After trading punches early in the second stanza, Saint Joseph's used the defensive prowess of freshman center Dwayne Jones to break away from the upstart Rams. He had four blocks to kickstart a 16-5 run over five minutes, highlighted by a Nelson steal and fastbreak slam before a Jim Barron timeout. St. Joe's used its normal defense pressure to hold Rhode Island to just 33% shooting on the game. Led by Jones' five total blocks, SJU swatted a team high 10 on the afternoon. "DJ is a gifted young defender. We expect him to be an eraser back there," Martelli said. Individually, Martelli received inspired effort from Barley, freshman Dwayne Lee (career high eight points) and Bryant (six points, five boards). Barley shot 4-of-5 from three point-land on his way to a career high. Nelson shot 21 times from the floor, second only to 26 against Gonzaga this season, and admitted to being tired after the game for the first time this season. It could be expected after shouldering more of the offensive load and playing 33 minutes of pressure defense. Dawan Robinson came off the bench for URI to score 16 points, the only Rams in double figures. Saint Joseph's has little time to prepare for Big Five and archrival Villanova, who it plays Monday at The Palestra. Tip-off time for the ESPN2 game is 7:00 p.m.