By Akin Taylor | November 28, 2022
Photo Credit: Taylor O’Connor (UAlbany Athletics)
Saint Joseph's University defeated the University at Albany men's basketball team 99-79 on Thursday night. Da'Kquan Davis dropped 32 points, shooting 6-11 from three-point range for the Great Danes.
In the opening minutes, the Hawks jumped out to an early lead. By the time of the U12 timeout, the lead had increased to 20-4. Davis and Ny'Mire Little each scored a basket for UAlbany. By the U8 timeout, SJU had made the score 35-6 with a 52.6% field goal percentage.
Between 7:40 and 3:35, the Great Danes went on a 17-9 run to bring the score to 44-23. Tairi Ketner added six points off the bench to follow Davis' 10 points. At halftime, SJU had the largest lead of the night, 30 points. 60-30 was their lead entering the locker room.
A 27.6% field goal percentage and a 1-10 three-point percentage by UAlbany in the first half were both below average. SJU shot 59.3% (16-27) from the field and 61.5% from deep.
There were 35 personal fouls called in the first half alone, 18 against UAlbany and 17 against SJU. Following halftime, the Great Danes started hot, making 5-5 from the field and 3-3 from three. Midway through the second half, SJU maintained a 30-point lead. By that moment, Da'Kquan Davis had increased his point total to 27 points.
“We got ourselves in a really deep hole really fast,” he said. “I thought we got some pretty good looks, but then the ball got kind of stagnant,” head coach Dwayne Killings said. “I thought we got a pretty good rhythm in the second half."
Coach Killings was also asked about the current lawsuit from former player, Luke Fizulich, saying he told his players about the possibility of legal response “a week or so ago,” but declined to comment otherwise.
Up next, The Great Danes participate in the Sunshine Slam in Daytona Beach, Florida.