Funk hits five 3s, scores 23; Saint Joe’s beats Princeton

PHILADELPHIA » Freshman Taylor Funk hit five 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 23 points to lead Saint Joseph’s to a 71-58 win over Princeton on Saturday night.

Funk made 7 of 8 from the field and hit 4 of 4 from the free throw line. James Demery had 13 points, Shavar Newkirk scored 11 and Anthony Longpre’ added 10 points for Saint Joe’s (2-1).

Funk made back-to-back 3-pointers and had 10 points during a 14-2 run that gave the Hawks a 59-50 lead with six minutes to go. Mike LeBlanc hit a 3 to pull Princeton within seven points with 3:37 left, but Funk answered with a 3-pointer and Saint Joe’s led by double figures the rest of the way.

Devin Cannady led Princeton (03) with 22 points.

Funk has back-to-back 20-plus point games and has 61 points through his first three games, the second most in school history behind Bernard Blunt’s 67 points in the 1990-91 season. (20) NORTHWESTERN 82, LA SALLE 74» Bryant McIntosh scored 21 points and Scottie Lindsey added 20 to lead Northwestern (3-1) over La Salle in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off in Uncasville, Conn.

B.J. Johnson led La Salle with 22 points and seven rebounds. Johnson scored 15 points in the second half as the Explorers tried to comeback from a double-digit deficit by shooting 67.9 percent (19-for-28).

“They are a really good team and it’s always hard to play a really good team after a loss,” La Salle coach Dr. John Giannini said. “We were excited. We were ready. We did everything right in the first part of the first half except make wide open shots.” PENN 99, PENN STATE-BRANDYWINE 40» Freshman Jarrod Simmons scored 16 points, Darnell Foreman added 14 points and Penn (22) cruised past Penn State Brandywine for a record win.

The 59-point margin of victory was the largest in program history, topping an 87-36 win against Cornell in 1974. It was the most points scored by Penn since 105 against Lafayette on Jan. 18, 2006.

Donte Winfield led Brandywine with nine points and six rebounds. MERCER 78, DREXEL 59 » Ria’n Holland dropped 29 points to spark Mercer (4-1) over Drexel (2-2) in a semifinal-round game of the Paradise Jam tournament at Liberty University. Tramaine Isabell scored 14 points off the bench for Drexel.