March 12, 2006

PHILADELPHIA - Saint Joseph's has received a bid to the 2006 NIT and will host Rutgers on Thursday, March 16, in the first round. The game is slated for 7 p.m. at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.

Rutgers (19-13) won at Penn State, 76-71 on Tuesday in the opening round.

SJU (18-13) made a run to the Atlantic 10 Championship game, falling just one point short to Xavier, 62-61, in another heartbreaker which has become the norm for the Hawks the past few years. The loss ended Saint Joseph's eight-game winning streak, which was the longest since the 2003-04 season.

Saint Joseph's is making its sixth consecutive post-season bid and the eighth in Phil Martelli's 11 years. The streak consists of three NCAA bids and three NIT bids, with two straight appearances in the NIT. Last season, the Hawks won five games in the NIT before suffering a 60-57 loss to South Carolina in the championship game.

If Saint Joseph's wins on Thursday, it will host a second-round game against the Hofstra-Nebraska winner on Monday, March 20. Game time is to be announced.

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