Hawks Set for Atlantic 10 Championship March 2-5 :: SJU opens play Friday at 2 p.m.

Feb. 28, 2007

CINCINNATI, OH - Saint Joseph's begins play in the 2007 Atlantic 10 Championship this Friday at 2 p.m. as the Hawks face-off with the 12th-seeded Rhode Island Rams at the Cintas Center. Picked to finish fourth in the Preseason Atlantic 10 Polls, Saint Joseph's fell one win shy of its predicted finish, claiming fifth place after posting an 8-6 conference record. Earlier this season, the Hawks downed Rhode Island, 73-70, on the road in their lone meeting. Should Saint Joseph's win its opening-round game, it would advance to face the fourth-seeded Charlotte 49ers on Saturday at 2 p.m.

• Saint Joseph's Game Notes

HAWKS AT THE ATLANTIC 10 CHAMPIONSHIP
Having earned the fifth seed for the fifth time in Saint Joseph's history, including a tie for fifth in the East Division in 2004-05, the Hawks enter the 2007 A-10 Championship 30-22 all-time in the conference's postseason tournament. Seeded fifth in its past two conference tournaments, the Hawks have gone 3-2 over that period, and are 7-5 all-time under head coach Cindy Griffin, with two appearances in the title game (2002, 2004). Saint Joseph's is also looking for its third A-10 title and first since 1999, as SJU has posted a 2-7 record in nine championship games. Even though the Hawks have had success at the A-10 Championship, SJU has gone just 1-3 at the Cintas Center, the home of this year's tournament.

HAWKS VERSUS THE ATLANTIC 10 CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD
The following is a breakdown of the Hawks all-time Atlantic 10 Championship record versus the 2007 A-10 Championship field. Team (Seed) A-10 Champ.
George Washington (#1) 6-2
Temple (#2) 1-4
Xavier (#3) 3-1
Charlotte (#4) 0-0
Richmond (#6) 0-0
Massachusetts (#7) 2-1
La Salle (#8) 2-1
Dayton (#9) 2-1
St. Bonaventure (#10)
0-0 Saint Louis (#11) 0-0
Rhode Island (#12) 4-1

A WIN AND...
Saint Joseph's enters this year's Atlantic 10 Championship with a win in its regular-season finale for the 20th time in program history. In the previous 19 times, the Hawks have complied a 24-17 record. Included in that are two 3-0 runs leading to conference titles (1997 & 1999) and five 0-1 marks.