SJU Athletics Photos

PHILADELPHIA (5/17/04) - Saint Joseph's women's basketball head coach Cindy Griffin is proud to announce the signing of Krista Hutchinson (Stafford, Va. / Colonial Forge) and Christine Roth (Buffalo, N.Y. / Mt. Mercy Academy / Genesee Community College) to National Letters of Intent for the 2004-05 season. The pair of players join Timisha Gomez (Elkridge, Md. / Long Reach) in the incoming class to help SJU compete for the Atlantic 10 Championship.

Hutchison, a 6-3 center, averaged nearly a double-double (9 ppg. and 10 rpg.) in helping Colonial Forge to a 16-5 record in 2003-04. The co-captain was an Academic All-Area selection and two-year letterwinner. Hutchinson also added 2.5 blocks per game during her senior season.

"Krista adds height and a strong inside presence for us," Griffin said. "Her rebounding and shot blocking abilities are her strengths right now. Her upside is tremendous and she has the drive and determination to be a very influential post player in our program."

Roth, a 5-10 guard, has spent time at SUNY-Oswego and Genesee Community College in upstate New York. This past year, she was a WNYAC honorable mention selection after averaging 10 ppg. and 3 apg. and shot 42% from three-point range. As a freshman, Roth was a SUNYAC honorable mention pick at SUNY-Oswego after averaging 11 ppg., 5 rpg., and 4 apg. during her rookie campaign. She prepped at Mt. Mercy Academy in Buffalo, N.Y. where she was a two-time All-Catholic selection and scored over 1,000 points in her career.

"Christine is a shooting guard who is not afraid to take the big shot," Griffin said. "Her three-point shooting ability will help us create the balance we like to create on the floor. Christine is a team player who will be a great asset to our backcourt."

The two players join Gomez, a two-time honorable mention All-American by Street and Smith's, in the SJU recruiting class.

"This class has big shoes to fill. However, this class adds athleticism, sharp shooting and size to our talented, yet young team. I am excited to coach them and have them in our Hawk family," Griffin said.

Saint Joseph's finished its season 22-11 and 12-4 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Hawks advanced to the A-10 Championship game before falling to Temple, 53-48, and reached the WNIT Quarterfinals. The postseason run was the deepest any SJU women's basketball team had reached in the program's history.