March 3, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC - Saint Joseph's will try for its third ever Atlantic 10 Championships when the Hawks begin play Friday at the 2005 Atlantic 10 Tournament. The Hawks will have a tough road to travel en route to their third title, as Saint Joseph's begins play as the fifth seed in the Atlantic 10 East, the lowest it has been seeded since the conference went to two divisions.

* Click here for Saint Joseph's Atlantic 10 notes.

* Click here for live audio.

* Click here for A-10 Tournament website.

THE ATLANTIC 10 TOURNAMENT
The 2005 Atlantic 10 Tournament returns to Washington, DC for the first time since the 2003 season in which the George Washington Colonials downed Rhode Island for the A-10 title. This year's tournament marks the third time Saint Joseph's has competed for the conference crown in the nation's capital. In 1997, the Hawks won their first ever A-10 title in Washington, DC, downing the host Colonials 59-56 for the championship. Making its 23rd appearance in the tournament, Saint Joseph's is 27-20 in A-10 tournament games, and has made nine appearances in the title game.

HAWKS IN 2004 ATLANTIC TOURNAMENT
Saint Joseph's earned a bye in the 2004 Atlantic 10 Tournament's opening round and set a new A-10 record by hitting 32 of 44 from the free throw line in defeating Duquesne in the quarterfinals. In the semis, with the team's season hanging in the balance, it was fittingly the Hawk seniors rose to the occasion, netting 62 of the team's 70 points in an emotional victory over George Washington that gave Saint Joseph's it's 20th win of the season and propelled the team into the A-10 title game for the second time in three years. In the final against Temple, the Hawks fell behind early and trailed by as many as 16 late in the second half before staging a furious comeback. Amra Mehmedic canned a key three late and after Stephanie Graff scored on consecutive possessions in the paint, SJU was within a pair with 32 seconds left. Alas, it was not to be as several Hawk attempts were off the mark in the waning seconds and the Owls iced the game with free throws late. Graff, who had a double-double in the final, and Irina Krasnoshiok each earned all-tournament honors for their efforts.