Miles scores 24 as St. Joe's goes to 3-0
Isaiah Miles climbed up a defender's back, grabbed an errant shot and crammed it through the rim in the second half of St. Joseph's 89-67 victory against visiting Buffalo on Wednesday night.
Isaiah Miles climbed up a defender's back, grabbed an errant shot and crammed it through the rim in the second half of St. Joseph's 89-67 victory against visiting Buffalo on Wednesday night.
As it had for much of the night, Miles' energy gave the Hawks offense a much-needed boost and energized the crowd at Hagan Arena.
"I was just one of those days," said Miles, a 6-foot-7, 227-pound senior, who tied career highs with 24 points and 14 rebounds. "I was just hyped from the beginning of the game. I'm excited mostly every game, but for this particular game I was really excited."
Perhaps the bounce in his step had something to do with shedding 20 pounds before the season began.
"I feel like it's a huge thing for my game," Miles said. "I feel faster running down the court, I feel like I'm jumping higher."
On a night when SJU's typical offensive leader, DeAndre' Bembry, somewhat quietly surpassed 1,000 career points, Miles led an offensive charge that saw four Hawks score in double figures.
The Hawks (3-0) have had four players with double-digit points in every game this season.
James Demery and Shavar Newkirk both scored career highs, chipping in 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Bembry finished with 10 points, five rebounds and five assists against Buffalo (1-2). He became the 52d Hawk to hit 1,000 and the 22d to do so as a junior.
His 1,000th point came on a first-half layup and foul with 10 minutes, 13 seconds left, and put the Hawks ahead, 24-10, after the free throw.
Miles, however, had already sparked the 19-0 run that gave the initially sluggish Hawks control. He scored seven points and took a few charges during the surge, which led to a 46-28 edge at the half.
"He just looks like a different player because of the weight loss," coach Phil Martelli said. "He's a senior in practice, a senior in the locker room. He's taking those charges in practice. He puts his face in there. Fourteen rebounds and we're undersized. I'm delighted for him. This is what you want for a senior."
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