Erik Reynolds II is averaging 20.0 points and shooting 38.6 percent from three-point range in his last five games. (Photo: Saint Joseph's Athletics/Atlantic 10 Conference)
By AARON BRACY
February 8, 2025
PHILADELPHIA – Saint Joseph’s Erik Reynolds II slammed hard into Saint Louis’s Max Pikaar and then slammed his right foot hard into the floor, his hands clutching his face in apparent pain after the nasty collision with 3 minutes, 42 seconds remaining in Friday night’s pivotal Atlantic 10 contest at Hagan Arena.
Reynolds rose slowly, gingerly walked to a trainer’s area behind the Hawks bench, and then re-entered the contest 1:06 later.
It was kind of a microcosm of the season for Reynolds, the Hawks’ senior star from Temple Hills, Maryland, and St. Joe’s, in general.
Reynolds and the Hawks have been proverbially knocked down quite a bit this season, most of it self-imposed, plagued by inconsistent play and consistently inconsistent three-point shooting.
As you’d expect though from a school whose mantra is The Hawk Will Never Die, neither Reynolds nor the Hawks go away. Just when you think things can’t get any worse, like in the opening 15 minutes against the Billikens when the Hawks missed 13 of 14 three-pointers and trailed by 10, St. Joe’s rallies.
“I was enthused by the attitude,” coach Billy Lange said of his team’s mind-set despite the early funk on Friday.
Reynolds powered a turnaround with an 8 1/2-minute stretch of basketball that looked every bit like the player who entered the season among the candidates for the conference’s preseason player of the year. He keyed a 12-0 St. Joe’s run to end the first half, and then opened the second half with a deep three-pointer. When you looked up, the Hawks had run off 26 of 30 points to turn that 10-point deficit into a 12-point lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.
Final: Saint Joseph’s 78, Saint Louis 63
The victory was an important one on many levels for the Hawks, starting with the confidence the team needs to believe in itself as a team that can truly contend for the A-10 conference title, their ticket to the NCAA tournament. It was clear on Friday night that St. Joe’s had a swagger that has been missing at times this season as long-range shot after long-range shot rimmed out.
“It’s just knowing that you’re good,” Lange said. “We had a whole week full of swagger (in practice).”
Reynolds finished with 25 points, making 5 of 9 three-pointers, and played his best game of the season. Lange said the turnaround started five games ago, in a 78-61 win at Davidson on January 21, when Reynolds flushed thoughts of school records—Langston Galloway’s career three-point mark of 343 field goals, and Jameer Nelson’s career scoring mark of 2,094 points are still within range for Reynolds—and just played “aggressively and fearless of results.”
Over that stretch, Reynolds is averaging 20.0 points and shooting 44.6 percent (41 of 92) from the field and 38.6 percent (17 of 44) from the arc. The Hawks, obviously, will need Reynolds to continue to play well to earn a coveted double-bye in the conference tournament. With eight league games remaining, St. Joe’s is tied for sixth in the A-10 and just a half-game behind fourth-place Loyola Chicago entering Saturday’s play.
It’s very doable for the Hawks, especially if they hit from long range as they did in the final 25 minutes against the Billikens. After that horrid start, missing 13 of 14 three-pointers, St. Joe’s made 10 of its final 17 from deep.
The Hawks continued the season-long trend of winning games when they make the three-pointer–and losing when they don’t. In their 14 wins, they have made 38.2 percent (141 of 169) from long range. In their nine losses, they are hitting 26.3 percent (66 of 251) from deep.
And on they go, with Wednesday’s home contest against gritty La Salle a chance to back up a good performance, something that has been rare for the Hawks this season. Because of the ups and downs from long range, it’s not easy to know which St. Joe’s team you’ll see against the Explorers.
But, as Reynolds and crew showed again on Friday night, one thing you can count on is this: When the Hawks get knocked down, they will get back up.
—
Aaron Bracy has been covering Philadelphia sports since 1996. Follow Bracy on X: @Aaron_Bracy and like his Facebook and Instagram pages. His book on the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s men’s basketball team is expected to be published on March 1, 2025. Read a summary and preorder it by clicking HERE. Contact him at aaron@big5hoops.com.