BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Senior forward Isaiah Miles shattered his previous career high, pouring in 36 points, while tying his season and career best with 15 rebounds to lead the Saint Joseph's men's basketball team to a 79-62 victory over Virginia Tech in the first game of the ACC-Atlantic 10 Doubleheader at the Barclays Center.
Junior forward DeAndre' Bembry added 22 points and seven rebounds of his own on the afternoon as the Hawks extended their winning streak to five games, their longest since a six-game run in February 2014.
Miles' outburst is the first 30-plus point scoring effort by a Hawk since Bembry tallied 33 at Massachusetts on February 26 of last season. Miles has reached double-digits in scoring in all 11 games this season and has posted four double-doubles as well.
Virginia Tech (8-4) scored the game's first basket, but the Hawks tallied the next eight points to take an 8-2 lead at the 13:55 mark. After the Hokies closed to within 12-11 on a layup by Kerry Blackshear, Jr., with 11:06 remaining in the half, the Hawks went on a 15-2 run to open up a 27-13 lead with 4:46 to go. Miles chipped in with five points during the spurt, while Bembry tallied seven.
A Zach LeDay tip-in got VT back within nine with three minutes to go, but Saint Joseph's (9-2) went back on top by double digits on a three-pointer by Bembry at the other end. The lead remained there until a three-point play by LeDay with three seconds left sent the Hawks to the locker room with a 35-26 edge.
Virginia Tech closed to within six early in the second as a three from Seth Allen made it a 39-33 game at the 17:38 mark, but Miles scored the next five points of the game to extend the margin. Miles would score the Hawks' first nine points of the half – he would go on to tally 25 in the frame – before a pair of three-pointers from Shavar Newkirk extended the advantage to 50-38 with 14:39 to go.
After threes from senior Aaron Brown and Miles extended the lead to 56-40, the Hokies scored seven in a row, including five from Allen, to get back within nine with 12:20 remaining. However, Miles answered with six consecutive points to push the margin back to 62-47 with 10:21 to go.
The Hawks would stretch the run to 11-2 as a Miles jumper extended the lead to 67-49. After a three-point play by Jalen Hudson at the 6:56 mark, a pair of free throws by Bembry and Miles' third three-pointer of the day gave the Hawks their largest lead of the day at 72-52 with six minutes to play.
The teams would go nearly three minutes without scoring, but baskets on three consecutive Virginia Tech possessions were answered by jumpers from Bembry and Miles before both exited the floor with Hawks on top, 76-58, with 1:26 to go.
Tuesday's game marked the first time two Hawks eclipsed 20 points in the same game since Bembry and Miles each scored 23 at Dayton on February 19.
Sophomore James Demery added seven rebounds off the bench, while freshman Pierfrancesco Oliva posted a team-high five assists with no turnovers on the day. Allen led the Hokies with 18 points, while LeDay tallied 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Saint Joseph's will take a brief break for the Christmas holiday before returning to the court on Tuesday, December 29, when they host Maryland Eastern Shore at Hagan Arena in a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.
