Nov. 12, 2009
DURHAM, N.M. -
The Saint Joseph's women's basketball team opens the 2009-10 season this Friday as the Hawks travel to face New Hampshire at 7 p.m. at Lundholm Gymnasium. Fans can listen to the game live on sjuhawks.com and follow along with live scoring.
Click here for Saint Joseph's game notes.
GAME STORIES . . .
• Saint Joseph's opens the 2009-10 season at New Hampshire this Friday, marking just the third time the Hawks have opened the year on the road during head coach Cindy Griffin's nine-year tenure.
• The Hawks are 26-10 all-time in season openers, but lost last year's season-opening contest at No. 3 Rutgers, 86-59.
• Friday's matchup is just the second meeting between the Hawks and Wildcats. Saint Joseph's won the initial meeting 73-40 in the opening round of the 1985 La Salle Invitational.
• Saint Joseph's was picked to finish ninth in the 14-team Atlantic 10 according to a preseason poll conducted conference coaches and media.
• The Hawks return three starters and eight letterwinners from last year's club that went 13-17 and 5-9 in the A-10.
• Saint Joseph's and Xavier are the final Atlantic 10 teams to have a home games as both squads play their home openers on November 21.
• Senior forward Brittany Ford was a Preseason Atlantic 10 All-Conference Third Team honoree. Ford is coming off a career-high 12.2 points per game and garnered All-Conference Honorable Mention as a junior.
Series History - SJU vs. NH
All-Time Series: SJU leads 1-0
Last Meeting: 73-40, SJU, 12/27/85
Last SJU Win: W, 73-40, 12/27/85
Last NH Win: None
Current SJU Streak: W-1
Friday's matchup will be just the second time the Hawks and Wildcats face off. In the previous meeting, Saint Joseph's topped New Hampshire, 73-40, in the opening game of the 1985 La Salle Invitational. The Hawks, who got 16 points from Jill Rooney and 10 points and eight rebounds from Debbie Black, went on to defeat Northeastern and the host Explorers to claim the tournament title. New Hampshire got a team-high 10 points from Karen Pinkos and seven rebounds from Kris Kinney in the loss.
FOR OPENERS
Saint Joseph's opens its 37th season with an impressive record in season openers, having gone 26-10 overall, while winning 10 of their past 13 openers. The Hawks have posted a 24-12 in their road openers, while going 8-3 when the season opening game is on the road. Last year, Saint Joseph's fell to No. 3 Rutgers, 86-59 in its season opener, with the other two season-opening road losses coming at Villanova (59-44 on 11/22/02) and at No.1 Tennessee (108-63, on 11/16/98).
BRYANT, GILLESPIE AND LOGUE TO SERVE AS CAPTAINS IN 2009-10
Seniors Amy Gillespie and Ashley Logue and junior Dominique Bryant will serve as captains for the Hawks during the 2009-10 season. The trio, who replace last year's captain Mary Kate McDade `09, are each in their first year of captaincy.
FORD NAMED TO PRESEASON A-10 ALL-CONFERENCE THIRD TEAM
The Hawks' leading scorer (12.2 ppg) and second-leading rebounder (5.5 rpg) last year, senior forward Brittany Ford, was named to the Preseason All-Conference Third Team. An A-10 All-Conference Honorable Mention as a junior, Ford was the most efficient offensive player for SJU a season ago, converting 48.4 percent of her shots, while ranking among the conference leaders in scoring, and blocked shots (1.0 per game).
CONSECUTIVE STARTS
This year, senior Ashley Logue and sophomore Michelle Baker enter the season tied with a team-best eight-straight starts dating back to last year. Saint Joseph's only two players to start every game in 2008-09, Mary Kate McDade and Jenna Loschiavo, graduated last May.
DJOUARA ECLIPSES 1,000-POINT PLATEAU
Averaging 11.6 points per game for her collegiate career, senior guard Mariame Djouara surpassed the 1,000-point mark during the 2008-09 season. Before transferring to SJU, she was a two-year starter at South Plains College, amassing 768 points over 63 games. In her first season with the Hawks, Djouara tallied 299 points, brining her career total to 1,067 points. She eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau with a 21-point performance at Saint Louis on Jan. 24, 2009.
BAKER SET FOR BREAKOUT SEASON
The lone rookie to play in every game during the 2008-09 season, Michelle Baker is ready for an expanded role as a sophomore. Earning eight starts and averaging 5.4 points per game, the Wilmington, Delaware native led all freshmen in scoring, assists (21), rebounds (70) and steals (21) last year. Averaging 7.9 ppg in Atlantic 10 play, Baker earned a start in the final eight games last year.
FORD AMONGST SJU'S ALL-TIME BLOCKS LEADERS
Senior forward Brittany Ford enters her final season on Hawk Hill eighth all-time in career blocks in Saint Joseph's history. Ford, who has averaged 0.98 blocks per game over 79 career contests, enters Friday's game just two back of fourth-place (80 by Kim Foley). Current assistant coach, Stephanie McCaffrey (nee Graff) set the all-time record in blocks with 175 from 2000-04.
BRYANT LOOKS TO CONTINUE EMERGENCE
After an injury-plagued freshman campaign that saw her appear in just 15 games and average 12.4 minutes per contest, forward Dominique Bryant proved to be a valuable every-game asset for the Hawks a season ago. As a sophomore, Bryant proved to be one of the most consistent post players for Saint Joseph's, appearing in 29 games, while making 15 starts. Averaging a career-best 5.7 points a night, she finished third on the team in rebounding (4.7 rpg), fourth in field-goal percentage (.393) and fifth in three pointers (15). Bryant's ability and vocal presence helped earn the Bowie, Maryland native earn a nod as team captain for the 2009-10 season.
CAVALLO COMING ON STRONG
Appearing in just two of the opening seven games in 2008-09, forward Kelly Cavallo proved to be a key contributor down the stretch for the Hawks, averaging 1.8 points in just over six minutes per game.
HAWKS RETURN HOME
Saint Joseph's returns to Hawk Hill for the 2009-10 season as SJU begins play in the Michael J. Hagan `85 Arena. Last year, the Hawks posted an 8-5 "home" record while playing at Philadelphia University's Gallagher Center, Drexel University's Daskalakis Center and The Palestra. Formerly Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, Hagan Arena offers the following new amenities.
- 4,200 seats; an increase of 1,000
- New premium seating section with chair backs
- New upper level concourse with additional restrooms and concession stands
- Fully air-conditioned arena
- New Will-Call entrance and additional ticket entrances in the back of the arena
- Renovated visiting team locker rooms
- Expanded media room
- New scoreboard, additional video boards and speakers
QUICK HITS
• Former SJU point guard, Mary Kate McDade was added to the coaching staff this summer and will serve as the team's graduate assistant this year. She is the fifth former Hawk to be added to SJU's staff, joining head coach Cindy Griffin, assistant coaches Susan Moran and Stephanie McCaffrey and director of basketball operations, Ellen Fitzpatrick.
• Both freshmen guards Ashley Prim and Shelby Smith were Sporting News Preseason All-American selections as senior in high school Prim ranked 45th and Smith ranked 52nd according to last year's national scouting reports.
• New Hampshire is one of a possible four America East opponents the Hawks will face during the season. Saint Joseph's hosts UMBC (Nov. 21) and Hartford (Dec. 4) and could play Boston University during the 19th Annual Hawk Classic.
S-A-I-N-T JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY
The corporate title of "Saint" Joseph's University, which has been in place since Saint Joseph's was granted university status by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1979, is now the "public" title of the institution for all aspects of its operations. Previously, the abbreviation of "St." Joseph's University was permitted in a number of alumni and athletic contexts. According to the most recent edition of the Higher Education Directory, there are at least nine recognized "St. Joseph's" among the nation's colleges and universities. Only one of them-Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia-is a university-level, Master's I, NCAA Division I institution. A complete spelling of S-A-I-N-T Joseph's University in all contexts will help eliminate any confusion among higher education and other public constituencies.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Hawks cap their two-game road swing when they travel to Providence for a 2 p.m. game on Sunday. Saint Joseph's is 1-2 all-time versus the Friars, but the two Jesuit teams haven't meet since 1982.
