Nov. 29, 2012

LORETTO, Pa. - The Saint Joseph's women's basketball team caps a two-game road swing this Saturday as the Hawks travel to Saint Francis (Pa.). Fans can listen live for free courtesy of the Saint Joseph's Sports Network.

Saint Joseph's Game Notes

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GAME STORIES . . .
• Senior guard Ashley Prim scored a career-high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including five three-pointers, against the Pride.
• Saint Joseph's is 2-0 on the road this season with wins over Drexel and Hofstra. The Hawks won only two nonconference roads games in 2011-12, with their second win not coming until January 3 (at Quinnipiac, 71-54).
• The Hawks tallied more points in the first half at Hofstra (42 points), than they did the entire game versus Syracuse (39 points).
• Saint Joseph's converted season-best nine three-pointers at Hofstra, finishing the day 9-of-20 from the field (45 percent).
• Saturday's matchup with the Red Flash is just the second time the Hawks and Saint Francis have met. Saint Joseph's won last year's meeting, 83-53, on December 19 at Hagan Arena.
• The Red Flash are one of two NEC teams the Hawks will possibly face this year. SJU may play Wagner in the championship game or consolation game of the Hawk Classic on December 29.
• The Hawks are coming off a six day rest between games. The break is the second longest SJU will have this season, with its biggest break - 11 days - coming later this month.

THE OPENING TIP
• The Hawks are making their first trip to Saint Francis this Saturday.
• Redshirt junior Kelsey Berger is averaging 8.5 points per game off the bench for SJU the last two games. • Saint Joseph's is curren
tly being outrebounded by 13.6 rebounds per contest. However, the Hawks are 2-2 in games in which opponenets outrebound them.
• Senior Ashley Prim, redshirt senior Chatilla van Grinsven, juniors Ilze Gotfrida and Erin Shields and redshirt sophomore Natasha Cloud have composed the starting lineup the first five games of the season for SJU.
• The starting lineup has accounted for 232 of the team's 266 points so far this year.
• Saint Joseph's held Drexel and Maryland to a combined 27 points and 22.2 percent from the floor in the second half.
• The Hawks' defense stifled the Dragons and Terps to just 6-of-25 (24.0 percent) and 6-of-29 (20.7 percent), respectively, from the field in the final 20 minutes. Junior Erin Shields finished with a team-high 18 points, including the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer that lifted the Hawks to a 47-45 win.

VAN GRINSVEN GARNERS PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Helping the Hawks to a 2-0 record with wins at Drexel and over #5 Maryland, redshirt senior Chatilla van Grinsven earned A-10 Co-Player of the Week, College Sports Madness A-10 Player of the Week and Big 5 Player of the Week honors. Playing her first season with the Hawks, van Grinsven scored a game-high 18 points and added a team-best eight rebounds, three blocks and three steals in SJU's win over Maryland. Scoring 12 of her points in the second half, she helped spearhead the SJU defense that limited the Terps to just 14 second-half points. Earlier in the week, van Grinsven helped guide the Hawks to a last-second win at Drexel as the Helmond, Netherlands native, tallied 12 points to go with eight rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. On the week, she averaged 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.0 assists per game.

GO TO GOTFRIDA
Junior Ilze Gotfrida has made the most of her starting opportunity this season as she enters Sunday third on the team in scoring (9.4 ppg) and tied for second in rebonding (4.4 rpg). Additionally, the Dobele, Latvia native is shooting a team-high 56.8 percent from the field (21-37) and averaging a career-high 30.6 minutes per game.

SCHOLARLY SMITH
A standout on the court and the classroom, senior Shelby Smith is the only Hawk in program history to earn Philadelphia Big 5 All-Academic Team three times. The finance major is also a member of both the A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll and SJU Athletic Director's Honor Roll and is serving as a co-captain this season.

PRIM EYES CAREER GAMES PLAYED RECORD
Playing in 102 straight games in the Crimson and Gray, senior Ashley Prim is on track to challenge Michelle Baker's record for career games played (127). Leading the squad in assists the past three years, she was an A-10 All-Rookie Team selection as a freshman and A-10 Sixth Man of the Year as a sophomore.

HAWKS EXCEL IN NONCONFERENCE PLAY
Saint Joseph's is coming off two straight years of 10 wins during the nonconference portion of its schedule. From 2010-12, the Hawks have posted a 20-8 record in nonconference games, going 10-4 each of the last two seasons. Saint Joseph's won 17 nonconference games in 1984-85 to set the all-time record after winning 14 nonconference games the previous year.

SHIELDS AMONG SJU ALL-TIME LEADERS
Junior Erin Shields ranks as one of the top three point shooters in Saint Joseph's history. The Hawks returning leader in three pointers (38), she has converted on 35.6 percent (98-of-275) of her attempts. Shields enters Saturday's game 10th all-time in team history.

GRIFFIN EARNS 250TH CAREER VICTORY
Head coach Cindy Griffin earned her 250th career win in SJU's victory over #5 Maryland on November 17. Over 14 seasons, Griffin has posted a 251-182 record, with 203 wins coming at Hawk Hill.

HAWKS POST NOTEABLE UPSET OF #5 MARYLAND
Saint Joseph's 50-49 win over #5 Maryland was its first win over a nationally ranked team since the 2007-08 season and the Hawks highest victory over a ranked squad since they topped #3 Montclair State, 68-67, on March 11, 1977. Saint Joseph's, which is now 32-114 all-time against ranked opponents, last win over a ranked opponent was against #15 Auburn, 71-69, in the title game of the Hawk Classic on December 29, 2007.