Jameer Nelson and Delonte West showed why they're one of the best backcourts in the nation.
And it's because of them that Saint Joseph's is heading to the NCAA tournament's round of 16 for the first time in seven years.
St. Joe's beat Texas Tech 70-65 on Saturday -- and guess who's waiting for the Hawks in the next round? Billy Packer's alma mater Wake Forest.
"I guarantee you he won't be rooting for us," West said smiling.
West was on early and Nelson impressive late, the two combining for 39 points against Texas Tech.
West's contributions were particularly important, scoring 11 of his 15 points during a 24-2 first-half run that put the Hawks ahead for good. The outburst came after Nelson struggled, missing five of his first six shots.
"That's why we're a backcourt tandem, we know each other's needs," West said. "We really had no flow. I wasn't going to let the game get too far away from us."
Nelson, who scored 14 of his 24 points in the second half, deferred the credit to West, who also added eight assists.
"People are just now noticing him that he's one of the best players in country," said Nelson, a player of the year candidate. "I need him to be a first-team All-American with me. That's my backcourt mate. You know how much he means to me."
The Hawks (29-1) continue to prove worthy of their No. 1 seed, and will meet fourth-seeded Wake Forest (21-9) in next week's East Rutherford Regional semifinal.
Packer, a CBS analyst, isn't considered Saint Joseph's biggest fans.
Last weekend, Packer, who was a star player for the Demon Deacons in the early 1960s, questioned whether Saint Joseph's was worthy of a top seed. That led to a heated response from Hawks coach Phil Martelli.
Texas Tech coach Bob Knight is a Hawks believer.
"I told Phil that their team, from watching the film, I really liked and enjoyed watching them play," Knight said.
"It's good for kids to see a really good team play the way those kids do."
Andre Emmett, the Big 12's all-time leading scorer, led Texas Tech (23-11) with 18 points.
For Knight, it marked the second time he's left Buffalo with a tournament loss.
Knight coached what proved to be his last game with Indiana when the Hoosiers lost an opening round game 77-57 to Pepperdine in the 2000 tournament.
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