JayVaughn Pinkston, whose 6-7, 260-pound frame has been utilized most at power forward in the Villanova lineup, also saw some time at the five spot, going up against Marquette's 6-8, 290-pound Davante Gardner.
"It didn't hurt us," Pinkston said of the size difference. "It's just that I was trying to help other people. Everybody was trying to help each other, but we weren't getting back to the paint, and they were converting second-chance points."
Pinkston had a team-high 17 points in the 82-78 loss. He is averaging 15.3 points and 10 rebounds in his last four games.
Impressing the coach
Coaches don't like to sound overly impressed with their team for fear of complacency, but Temple coach Fran Dunphy gave an honest assessment that praised the Owls for their effort in Saturday's 78-60 win over St. Joseph's.
The Owls led by 28 points with fewer than four minutes left.
"To be honest with you, we played about as good as we could play," Dunphy said. "Our defense was as good as we have been all year, and we made our shots."
Jones not alone
In the first month of the season, St. Joseph's guard Carl Jones was among the top players in the city. But Jones injured his ankle preparing for a Dec. 17 game against Villanova and hasn't been the same since.
In three of his last four games, Jones failed to score in double figures.
"I am very concerned," Hawks coach Phil Martelli said of Jones' recent play.
Martelli said the team's current skid - six losses in the last nine games - is due to far more than just Jones' struggles.
"He needs to be coached better, play better. But he's not alone," Martelli said.
The Hawks need to find their way, especially away from Hagan Arena. St. Joseph's is 2-7 on the road and travels to Richmond on Wednesday.
Time change
