Feb 28, 2004
Box Score
By JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. - The perfect record might suggest that Saint Joseph's has had an easy season. Rhode Island knows otherwise.
Second-ranked Saint Joe's needed Delonte West's 3-pointer in the final minute to remain undefeated and beat the Rams 57-55 on Saturday. Jameer Nelson scored 21 points and West had 19 for Saint Joe's, which has only a home game against last-place St. Bonaventure and the Atlantic 10 tournament standing in the way of a perfect regular season.
"We're all looking forward to Tuesday," Saint Joe's coach Phil Martelli said of the St. Bonaventure game. "If you have a ticket for the game, you will be seeing history."
No team has entered the NCAA tournament unbeaten since UNLV in 1991. Top-ranked Stanford was also undefeated going into Saturday night's game against Oregon.
Saint Joe's (26-0, 15-0) and Rhode Island were within three points of each other for the final 9:29, and for the last 5:42 it was two points or fewer with three lead changes and three ties. Rhode Island led by two before West hit the 3 with 57 seconds left to make it 56-55.
The Rams (17-12, 6-9) couldn't convert two chances on the next possession, and then after West made it a two-point game with a free throw with 19 seconds left, Rhode Island called a timeout. Dawan Robinson got the ball in a crowd in the lane and missed, then Steve Mello grabbed the loose ball rebound and fired up a hurried 3-pointer that bounced off the rim.
The buzzer sounded as they scrambled for a loose ball.
"We had ample opportunities, but we missed a layup, missed a foul shot and had some open shots that didn't go down," Rhode Island coach Jim Baron said. "We're a good basketball team, and it showed against the No. 2 team in the country. We had our opportunity and it's something we have to grab."
The Hawks haven't had a game this close since Dec. 20, when Nelson hit the game-winner against California with 5 seconds left. Saint Joe's has won its last six games and 12 of its previous 14 by at least 10 points.
"We've had a lot of challenges during the regular season," West said. "We played a physical game against California. Rhode Island had a game plan to play us physical. Everything so far has been a learning experience."
Dustin Hellenga had 15 points and Jamaal Wise added 10 points and 10 rebounds for Rhode Island.
The Rams had the lead as late as 1:26 remaining, when Hellenga stole the ball from Nelson and forced West to foul to avoid a breakaway. Hellenga made just one of the free throws, making it 55-53, then got the rebound of the second before turning the ball over on the inbounds pass.
The 7,616-seat Ryan Center tucked away in southern Rhode Island was packed with powder blue-wearing rowdies who wasted no opportunity to remind the Hawks what happened here last year, when Brian Woodward's putback won the game for the Rams at the buzzer.
Rhode Island had a chance to do it again.
For the second consecutive game, Saint Joe's got off to a slow start. But unlike Wednesday night's victory over UMass, which turned into an 83-58 laugher, the Hawks had to fight all game for this one.
Rhode Island took a 5-0 lead before West drove right down the middle of the lane to make it 5-2. Nelson made two free throws, then on the next trip down he hit West with a bounce pass that led to a three-point play to make it 7-5 with 16:15 left in the half.
The Rams took a six-point lead before Nelson hit a basket and two 3-pointers during a 10-0 run that made it 19-15. Nelson fouled Hellenga in the final minute and he made two free throws, then Nelson missed a 3-pointer with about a second left to leave it 27-27 at halftime.
Saint Joe's shot just 32 percent in the first half, making just 3-of-15 from 3-point range. Nelson was 3-for-11 from the field in the half.
It was the first time since they trailed Xavier on Jan. 17, that the Hawks didn't lead at halftime.
