March 14, 2007

PHILADELPHIA - For the fifth time in six years, the Saint Joseph's Hawks have earned a berth in the Women's National Invitation Tournament as they host Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season champion Coppin State Thursday evening at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse. Coming off an impressive run to the title game of the Atlantic 10 Championship, which included a win over No. 8/9 George Washington in the semifinals (57-55), Saint Joseph's earned its second-straight WNIT bid and the fifth under head coach Cindy Griffin. The Hawks enter Thursday's game 5-1 in WNIT games at Hawk Hill.

• Tickets for Thursday's WNIT contest are still available by contacting the Saint Joseph's ticket office at 610-660-1712.

• Saint Joseph's Game Notes

• Saint Joseph's is offering a free webcast of Thursday's contest via SJUHawks.com. To view or listen, click the "watch" or "listen" options on the right side of the page, under the "Next Event" window.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
After posting its second-straight undefeated season in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play (18-0), Coppin State fell short of its third-straight NCAA bid as the Eagles fell to Morgan State, 69-67, in the semifinals. Out of conference, Coppin State posted a 5-6 record, with the largest loss being 10 points against George Washington on November 12. Possessing one of the stingiest defenses in Division-I, the Eagles have held opponents to 53.2 ppg (sixth nationally) and 34.8 percent from the floor (eighth nationally). Individually, MEAC Player of the Year Rashida Suber leads the Eagles offense, ranking 28th nationally in scoring (18.9 ppg), 15th in steals (3.0 spg) and second in three-pointers per game (3.2). Likely joining her in the back court are First-Team All-MEAC guard Shalamar Oakley and senior Tamieka Noel. In the posts, senior Talia Sutton ranks third in the MEAC in rebounding at 7.3 rpg, while Tanezia Harden is is second on the team with 23 blocks. Coppin State Probable Starters No.-Pos.-Name-Yr.-Ht.-Ppg.-Rpg.-Apg.
22-G-Rashida Suber-Jr.-5-8-18.9-3.7-2.2
5-G-Shalamar Oakley Jr.-5-6-12.9-3.5-3.4
24-G-Tamieka Noel-Sr.-5-9-8.7-7.2-2.4
0-C-Tanezia Harden-So.-6-3-7.9-5.2-0.3
21-F-Talia Sutton-Sr.-5-11-6.0-7.3-2.7

HAWKS VERSUS THE MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Despite Thursday's contest being the first between the Hawks and the Eagles, SJU has previously faced four other Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference squads, posting a 10-6 record. The following is a breakdown of the Hawks' all-time record versus current MEAC teams. Team-Record
Morgan State: 6-6
Florida A&M: 1-0
Howard: 2-1
South Carolina State: 1-0

HAWK WNIT HISTORY
The Hawks make their sixth appearance in the Women's National Invitation Tournament as they host Coppin State Thursday. Saint Joseph's has advanced to the second round of the WNIT four times, including a trip to the quarterfinals in 2004. The Hawks have posted a 5-5 all-time record in WNIT games and are 4-4 in four appearances under head coach Cindy Griffin.