Game Info: Wednesday, December 18, 2024 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Hagan Arena - Philadelphia, Pa.
TV: ESPN+ | Listen: sjuhawks.com | Live Stats: sjuhawks.com | Saint Joseph's Game Notes | American Game Notes | Tickets

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Opening Tip
The Saint Joseph's men's basketball team looks to return to its winning ways when it hosts the American University Eagles on Wednesday, December 18. Tipoff from Hagan Arena is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Back 2 Back In The Big 5    
Saint Joseph's won its second consecutive Philadelphia Big 5 championship on December 7 with an 82-68 win against La Salle. The Hawks have claimed both Big 5 Classic championships, also beating Temple in the 2023 event. SJU is 6-0 in Big 5 play the last two seasons under the new pod system leading into the Big 5 Classic. St. Joe's has not lost a Big 5 game since December 2022.

Delivering Like Saint Nick (Part I)    
Xzayvier Brown, Derek Simpson and Erik Reynolds II each had six assists in the game against Charleston. It is the first time since at least the 2005-06 season that SJU had three individual players each record six or more dimes in a game. The Hawks had three players deliver five helpers in a contest six times in the span, most recently when  Chris Wilson (8), DeAndre Bembry (5) and Halil Kanacevic (5) achieved the feat in an 84-75 win against Duquesne on January 15, 2014. For both Simpson and Reynolds, the assist total was a season-high.

Delivering Like Saint Nick (Part II)    
It was a team effort moving the ball around against Charleston as the Hawks delivered a season-high 22 assists for a second consecutive game. Saint Joseph's initially got into the holiday spirit of giving, delivering 22 assists on 32 made baskets against La Salle on December 7. St. Joe's had assists on 73.3 percent of its shots in the game, the fourth time this season it has had an assist percentage above 70. Having a high assist percentage shouldn't come as a surprise as the Hawks' season assist percentage of 62.9 is ranked 22nd out of 364 teams in NCAA Division I.

Swiping Left    
After mustering just two rejections against La Salle, St. Joe's got back to its previous rim defending ways with seven blocks against Charleston. The Hawks are averaging 5.3 rejections per game this season. That total is second in the Atlantic 10 and 21st in NCAA Division I. It is the most for the program since the 2012-13 squad recorded 5.7 swats a game, led by 82 from C.J. Aiken. SJU has five or more blocks in five of its games this year. The Hawks rejected 12 Coppin State shots on November 26, a season-high. They also achieved double digits in the season-opener against Navy. Prior to the game against the Midshipmen,  SJU had not blocked 10 or more shots in a game since January 12, 2013 against Duquesne. Rasheer Fleming and Justice Ajogbor each rank in the top-15 of the Atlantic 10 in both total blocks and blocks per game. Fleming is in the top-100 nationally in both categories.

Doubling His Fun    
With 14 points against Charleston on December 10, Xzayvier Brown continued his mark of being the only player on the Hawks with double digit scoring in all 10 games this season. Dating to last year, he has scored 10+ points in 11 consecutive contests. His previous long streak was six straight double digit games, from January 3-23 and February 21-March 13, 2024.

Who's Next?    
Erik Reynolds II continues to move up multiple career charts for the Saint Joseph's, currently sitting sixth place on the Hawks' career scoring chart and is third all-time in three-pointers. The senior from Temple Hills, Md. enters the game against American with 1,761 points in 108 games. The top-five begins with Ahmad Nivens (2005-09) with 1,789. Reynolds II enters the American game 13 three-pointers behind Pat Carroll (294 - 2001-05) for second and is 20 away from becoming just the second ever SJU men's basketball player with 300 or more threes. Langston Galloway (2010-14) owns that distinction at 343.

Scouting Report    
American enters play 6-4 overall and is coming off an 81-71 victory against George Washington on December 4. The Eagles have won five in a row, two of those coming against non-Division I opponents. American was picked second int he Patriot League preseason poll.

A quartet of players average double figures for AU, led by Matt Rogers at 14.2 points per game. He is followed closely by Colin Smalls at 13.4. Elijah Stephen and Geoff Sprouse tally 11.6 and 10.0 an outing, respectively.

One area the Eagles have performed well at is defending the perimeter. American leads the PL and is in the top-75 nationally in three-point percentage defense, allowing the opposition to shoot just 29.9 percent. AU has also done a good job of getting to and making its shots from the line, ranking third in the conference in both free throw percentage (74.3) and free throws made per game (13.9).

The Eagles have, at times, struggled to hold on to the ball, turning it over 13.4 times a game. They also allow opponents to shoot 44.2 percent overall and connect at a 49.8 percent from two-point range. They haven't won a true road game this season, going 0-4 as compared to a 6-0 record at home and neutral sites.

Duane Simpkins is in his second season as the head coach at American with a record of 22-20. He led the Eagles to a 16-16 mark in his first year and a second place finish in the Patriot League. He is familiar with the A-10, spending eight seasons as an assistant at George Mason from 2015-23.

All-Time Series    
Wednesday is the 24th all-time meeting between Saint Joseph's and American with the Hawks holding an 18-5 series advantage, including two wins in a row. The teams were regular opponents in from the mid-1960's through the early eighties, playing 16 of the prior 23 matchups between 1967 and 1982. Before last season's contest, SJU hadn't faces AU since 1982. The Hawks are 2-0 against the Eagles at Hagan Arena.

Last Time Against American    
St. Joe's built a double-digit halftime lead on the strength of a defensive effort that allowed just 6-for-25 shooting in the opening 20 minutes as the Hawks defeated American 69-53 on December 6, 2023. Coming off the bench, Xzayvier Brown led SJU with 20 points, connecting on 4-of-7 shots from beyond the arc. Erik Reynolds II scored 14. Rasheer Fleming added 13 and topped the Hawks with nine rebounds. American connected on just 3-for-24 from three-point range in the contest.

Here Comes The Sun    
The first day game of the season for the Hawks is on the horizon as SJU tips off at noon against Virginia Tech on December 21 in the Holiday Hoop Fest at the Palestra. Saint Joseph's has yet to play a day game in 2024-25, starting with its first 11 contests in a row beginning at 5:00 p.m. or later. The VT game starts a stretch of three in a row played in the afternoon. 23 of 31 games this season for SJU are scheduled as night games with a pair, both against Saint Louis, slated for 9:00 p.m. eastern time tipoffs.

Up Next
Saint Joseph's makes the short trip over to University City to take on Virginia Tech in the Holiday Hoop Fest at the Palestra on Saturday, December 21. Tipoff is scheduled for noon with the game to be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.