Carroll erupts for eight threes in win over Temple

Pat Carroll is used to being overshadowed. The junior is the third scoring option on a nationally-ranked Saint Joseph's side that boasts, arguably, the best backcourt tandem in the country. What's more, his older brother Matt is making a strong case for Big East Player of the Year honors as he finishes up an outstanding career at Notre Dame. But yesterday, before a packed house at the Palestra, the junior forward found his way into the limelight. Carroll sank a career-high eight three-pointers -- including six in the first half -- as No. 25 St. Joe's cruised to a 78-59 victory over city and Atlantic 10 rival Temple. "I knew they were going to allow us to shoot a lot of three-pointers," Carroll said, who currently leads Division I in three-point field goal percentage at 50.4 percent (58-for-115). "And we had to take the opportunity." Historically, the key to beating Temple coach John Chaney's vaunted matchup zone defense has been to shoot over the top of it, typically from behind the arc. The Hawks did just that, launching a season-high 31 attempts from long range. "People marvel at the number of threes that Temple allows," St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli said. "That's what they allow. That's what their defense is built upon. They're going to protect. They're not going to let you inside, and you're going to have step up and make shots." Delonte West led the Hawks with a personal best of his own, netting 32 points on 13-for-19 shooting. All-America candidate Jameer Nelson, drawing the attention of the Temple (7-13, 5-5 Atlantic 10) defense throughout the night, was limited to four field goal attempts, but his 12 assists tied a career-high. Though the game did not count in the City Series, the Hawks (18-3, 8-2 Atlantic 10) have won six of their last seven and are a sterling 5-0 at the Palestra and 3-0 in the Big 5, despite last night's game did not counting toward their Big 5 record. The Hawks took immediate control from the opening tip, as Carroll drained a three off a nifty skip pass from Nelson. His second, just minutes later, opened up a 14-4 lead. Despite the hot hands of Carroll and West, the Owls remained within striking distance through gritty play and timely outside shooting. But for the duration of the game, the Hawks appeared more confident -- particularly on offense.

"They are a team. Not a team of players," Chaney said. "They are a team -- that makes a difference." The Hawks made their worst decisions of the night -- a series of haphazard passes and ill-advised shots -- toward the end of the first half, and the teams went to the locker rooms with Temple leading, 35-34. "In the beginning of the game, we were in such rhythm that we got a little bit stagnant," Martelli said. "We held the ball a little bit in the first half -- for the last eight or ten minutes the half -- and we didn't make it hop as much. In the second half, that ball moved and we were able to dribble-penetrate and kick to those three-point shooters." After trading baskets following the break, Carroll's seventh longball took the momentum back from the Owls, opening a 48-43 lead for the Hawks. On the next series, West hit a three and got an easy lay-up off a bad Temple turnover, putting the Hawks up by ten. They never looked back. Despite a limited scoring night, no one doubted Nelson's impact on the game. "It seems he can score when he wants to, so sometimes it looks like he's challenging himself out there," West said of Nelson. "He's always keeps eye contact with the guys, he always finds the guy that's hot. It's a pleasure just to play with him." The venerable Chaney summed it up. "He's good as anybody in the NBA, his size or otherwise. A tough kid."

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