“You guys are the toughest team we’ve ever played . . . [E]veryone at Texas Tech is going to be rooting for you.”MIKEY MARSHALL, Texas Tech guard, to St. Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli

E. RUTHERFORD REGION

St. Joe’s 70

Tex. Tech 65

BUFFALO – The game was over, and so was his career, but Mikey Marshall had a few things left to say before he’d walk off a college basketball court for the final time. So the Texas Tech guard sought out Saint Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli immediately after the Hawks had ousted the Red Raiders from this NCAA Tournament, 70-65, last night.

“Coach,” Marshall said, “we like to think we’re a pretty tough team. But you guys are the toughest team we’ve ever played in the heart. Which is where it counts. And as a result, everyone at Texas Tech is going to be rooting for you.”

That’s the way it’s gone in this most magical of seasons for Saint Joe’s, which improved to 29-1 on the season after outlasting Tech (23-11) in a wonderfully tense, intense, matchup. Include Bob Knight among the newly-inducted members of the Hawks’ fan club, too. Before the game, Knight told Martelli just how much he’d enjoyed watching his team play while he digested hour after hour of film while preparing for the game.

“And for a man like Coach Knight to say that about these players,” Martelli said, “that tells you all you need to know.”

The fact the Hawks will be playing in the Meadowlands next week speaks volumes, as well. Texas Tech jumped out to a quick 21-12 lead with just under 12 minutes to go, moving Martelli to call for time even though the teams were due a TV timeout at the next dead ball. He could sense the team’s first crisis of the tournament, and wanted to stanch the bleeding as quickly as possible.

“I told them that despite the score I thought we were playing better than we had at any time in our first game [against Liberty, Thursday],” Martelli said. “We were just letting them get to the front of the rim too easily. We had to stop them from doing that.”

The Hawks responded immediately, rattling off a 24-2 run that threatened to blow the game wide open. Delonte West exploded, scoring 13 of his 15 points the rest of the half, and Jameer Nelson (24 points) also took advantage of a shell-shocked Red Raiders defense.

“That was as big a run as we’ve ever allowed in a game that we were still a part of,” Knight said.

And the Red Raiders remained a part of it, even after the Hawks took a 60-53 lead with 7:53 left on a 3-pointer by Nelson. They did it by draining seven straight free throws, the last by Andre Emmett, who led the Raiders with 18 points.

But Pat Carroll (15 points on 4-for-7 shooting from 3) knocked down the biggest 3 of his career, and the Hawks never again allowed the Raiders to get closer than one.

“It’s good to be in the Sweet 16,” Martelli said. “These kids, they deserve that and everything else they get out of this season.”

EAST RUTHERFORD REGIONAL

Scores

at Raleigh

Wake Forest 84, Manhattan 80

at Buffalo

Saint Joseph’s 70, Texas Tech 65

Star of the day

Wake Forest’s Chris Paul had 29 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Stat’s a fact

Delonte West scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half, and Jameer Nelson had 14 of his 24 in the second to lead St. Joe’s to victory.

He said it

“Obviously the alternate possession rule today, for us, was the worst rule in the history of college basketball.” -Manhattan coach Bobby Gonzalez, after a jump ball that went to Wake Forest helped beat his Jaspers.

Today’s games

at Kansas City

Memphis vs. Oklahoma State, 2:20 p.m.

at Milwaukee

Wisconsin vs. Pittsburgh, 4:45 p.m.