Dec. 10, 2004

Box Score

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Led by a career-high 27 points from junior Chet Stachitas, Saint Joseph's University cruised past the UC Davis 84-56 in the first round of the Northwest Mutual Shootout on Friday. The Hawks (3-2) will play host San Francisco, an 82-49 winner over Longwood, in the championship at 8 p.m. PST on Saturday.

The two teams faced off at the University of San Francisco's War Memorial Gymnasium. Leading 42-34 at half, Hawks coach Phil Martelli had his team switch to a 2-3 zone from a man-to-man defense. Evidently confused by the switch, the Aggies didn't make their third shot from the floor until 7:36 remained, and by then the Hawks had a 68-48 lead.

Stachitas was most impressive during a two-minute, 21-second span in the first half when he made four straight 3-pointers to turn an 18-15 deficit into a 27-20 Hawks lead slightly more than midway through the opening half.

Stachitas' previous career best was 25 points against Davidson in the second game of this season, which was also the last time he matched his previous career-best of four 3-pointers. He passed that rung with 3:05 remaining in the first half Friday, dropping in a 3-pointer that put St. Joe's up 37-29.

The Hawks' Pat Carroll, who is the Atlantic 10 Conferences all-time career leader in 3-point shooting percentage (.437), found the shooting touch that had been missing for the first few weeks of the season.

Carroll, a left-handed senior guard, missed the season opener with a separated right shoulder. Since his return, he had shot just .150 (3-20) from beyond the arc. But against the Aggies, Carroll made all five of his 3-pointers and finished with 19 points.

The Aggies' Fowzi Abdelsamad opened the game with three straight 3-pointers to help UC Davis stay with the Hawks for the first eight-plus minutes. Abdelsamad finished with 17 points, including five 3s in six attempts to lead UC Davis.

The Hawks' game with USF, which begins at 11 p.m. EST, can be heard via the Saint Joseph's Sports Network on WPEN-Radio (950 AM). The game will be televised in the Bay Area only, on San Francisco station KICU-TV.