Shavar Newkirk scored 24 points and
Lamarr Kimble had 22 to lead Saint Joseph's to a 92-63 win over Lafayette in men's basketball action at Hagan Arena.
Freshman
Charlie Brown had 13 points and eight rebounds,
Chris Clover scored 10 off the bench and
Nick Robinson had eight rebounds. as the Hawks improved to 6-5.
Newkirk shot 8-for-13 from the field, making 4-of-6 three-pointers, to mark the eighth game this year in which he tallied 20 or more points.
Nick Lindner led Lafayette (4-7) with 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting and Matt Klinewski scored 10.
Newkirk got the Hawks going, scoring 10 points in the first five minutes of the game, as SJU jumped out to a quick 15-2 lead. Leading 18-10, Saint Joseph's went on a 10-2 run, with the last four from
Nick Robinson, to take a 28-12 lead. Newkirk hit a three pointer at 4:49 to give him 17 of the Hawks' 35 points, as SJU took its biggest lead of the game, 35-18.
Saint Joseph's shot 50 percent in the half and held a 45-29 lead at the intermission, despite Lafayette converting 7-of-16 from three-point range.
"I think it was the players' response for all that goes into this week. We did the shopping for our Christmas charity on Monday and delivered the gifts on Tuesday. Campus emptied on Tuesday, and then they've got that lonely feeling,” said head coach
Phil Martelli. “We did not practice very well on Tuesday or Wednesday. After the Illinois State game on Sunday, I told them that coming here to be average isn't what we need and not what we accepted. I've been a little bit harsh on them. I haven't mentioned Christmas. I haven't mentioned the break. So to get off to that start with Shavar, that was good."
It was more of the same in the second half as the Hawks built their lead to 20, 49-29, in the first minute. Lafayette would come no closer than 57-41 the rest of the way, while Saint Joseph's took its biggest lead, 90-60, on a pair of free throws by Brown with 4:01 to play.
The Hawks now head into a break for Christmas and return to action on December 30 with the Atlantic 10 opener against George Washington at Hagan Arena.
