DeAndre' Bembry scored a game-high 27 points, with 19 in the second half, to power Saint Joseph's past Saint Louis, 77-63, in Atlantic 10 action at sold-out Hagan Arena. With the win, Saint Joseph's (24-5; 13-3 A-10) moves back into a tie for first place in the conference and has secured a bye in the upcoming Atlantic 10 Championship (March 9-13).
Isaiah Miles added 18 points for the Hawks, who have won 13 of their last 15 games. Freshman Lamarr Kimble had eight points, all in the second half, and tied his career-high with six assists. Shavar Newkirk added nine points for SJU, which shot 60 percent from the field in the second half.
Bembry had 11 points in the final eight minutes for SJU as the Hawks regained the lead after Saint Louis had tied it with over 12 minutes to play.
Saint Joseph's had a 45-36 lead but Saint Louis scored eight straight points and tied the game 47-47 on a three-pointer by Jermaine Bishop at 12:48.
Bembry then scored six points in a 14-6 Saint Joseph's run, closing out the spurt with an assist on Lamarr Kimble's three pointer at 5:15 to give SJU a 61-53 lead.
Back-to-back buckets by Miles and Kimble upped SJU's lead to 65-55 lead, but Saint Louis quickly cut it to 65-60 on a basket by Reggie Agbeko and a three-pointer from Ash Yacoubou.
Bembry then found Aaron Brown crosscourt, and he connected on a three-pointer to give SJU a 68-60 advantage. After free throws from Bembry and Kimble, the Hawks' lead was again double digits, 70-60.
Bembry scored the Hawks' next six points, including a highlight-film dunk that accentuated the win, pushing SJU's margin to 76-62.
"We have been strong all year in turnovers. Today, we were not. And then when you come out of the game with 21 assists on 26 baskets and shoot 60 percent in a tight spot. Credit to Saint Louis. Now we get ready for Wednesday night (against St. Bonaventure). Wednesday night is not about revenge. They beat us. In 40 minutes, they were the better team. They were better prepared and they played better. They executed better. And we have to answer it," said Hawk coach Phil Martelli, who recorded the 399th win of his 21-year career at Saint Joseph's.
"At the offensive end, DeAndre' was very calm. I thought he really competed on the backboard for us. I think his defense should've been better. He wasn't as attentive as he normally is defensively. He can't come out of the game with four turnovers. It's really good any time you shoot 11-of-16," said Martelli. "But the number one number he's leaving with is 24 wins. That's what he is about."
The teams played a tight first half, with Saint Louis hitting 48 percent from the field, but Saint Joseph's holding onto a 35-32 lead at the break.
The win snapped Saint Joseph's nine-game losing streak against Saint Louis. The Hawks' last win over the Billikens came on March 9, 2006.
Saint Joseph's returns to action on Wednesday in the final road game of the regular season when it takes on St. Bonaventure at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester.
