Wright admitted afterward that Pinkston's decision-making must improve.
"Right up until the last three games, it's been easy for him," Wright said, "because they didn't really respect who he was and no one was coming to help, no one was coming to double. But the last three games, you're seeing different kinds of coverages."
In three games since going for 28 points and 14 rebounds in Villanova's comeback win over Providence, Pinkston is averaging 16.3 points but shooting only 27.1 percent from the field (13 of 48).
Guarding the back
St. Joseph's has been on a roll thanks to the play of its backcourt of Langston Galloway and Carl Jones.
Galloway, who is averaging 15.5 points, has been the team's most consistent player this season and is seventh nationally in three-point field goal accuracy at 46.5 percent.
Jones has scored in double figures in six consecutive games, and has averaged 17.1 points in that time. He leads the team in scoring with a 16.4-point average.
"At practice his mind is free, his heart is free, and he is back playing at a very consistent level," Hawks coach Phil Martelli said.
The Drexel 'D'
Drexel remains fifth nationally in scoring, allowing 55.0 points per game, and 15th in field-goal percentage defense at 38.6 percent.
Dragons coach Bruiser Flint indicates that the unsung hero on defense is 6-foot-9, 270-pound junior Daryl McCoy.
"I think Daryl McCoy is the best defensive big man in the league," Flint said.
So close . . .
The La Salle traveling party had a feeling that Terrell Vinson of Massachusetts may have had his toes on the three-point line when he drained what could have been the game-tying shot at the buzzer on Saturday.
They were right. The officials called Vinson's basket a two-pointer and were upheld on replay, as the Explorers got out with a 72-71 victory.
"It looked close, but the tape confirmed it," La Salle coach John Giannini said. "What a close game. They talk about it's a game of inches, of seconds. These are two evenly matched teams."
Stat check
Besides the Hawks' Galloway in three-point field goal percentage, a number of City Six players are in the top 30 nationally in various categories. They are:
St. Joseph's C.J. Aiken, fourth in blocked shots (3.8).
Villanova's Maalik Wayns, seventh in free-throw percentage (90.2).
Penn's Zack Rosen, tied for 24th in assists (5.8).
Temple's Khalif Wyatt, 29th in steals (2.1).
Galloway also leads all city players in overall field-goal percentage (49.5 percent) and three-point baskets per game (2.6).
Rosen tops everyone in assist-turnover ratio (2.13) and is second in scoring (18.1), just one-tenth of a point behind the leader, Ramone Moore of Temple.
Mouphtaou Yarou of Villanova is the city's No. 1 rebounder (8.3).
Staff writer Mark Narducci contributed to this article.
