March 5, 2005

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA(AP) - Pat Carroll scored 20 points and Chet Stachitas added 11 to lead Saint Joseph's to a 67-53 win over Fordham on Saturday in the Atlantic 10 regular-season finale for both teams.

Saint Joseph's (17-10, 14-2 A-10) finished the season with the best record in the conference and gets a first-round bye in the A-10 tournament as the top seed. The Hawks will play either Richmond or Rhode Island in the quarterfinals Thursday in Cincinnati.

Marcus Stout led Fordham (12-15, 8-8) with 18 points and Bryant Dunston had eight points and five rebounds.

Dwayne Jones had five points and 13 rebounds for Saint Joseph's. Jones finished the regular season averaging a double-double, the first Hawks' player to accomplish the feat since 1996 and the 28th player in Atlantic 10 history to do so.

Saint Joseph's outscored Fordham 39-17 in the first half, during which the Rams shot only 25 percent from the field (6-for-24) and had eight turnovers.

Carroll, who was honored in the pre-game Senior Day ceremony along with John Bryant, led the Hawks with 12 points in the first half, all on 3-pointers. He hit six 3-pointers in the game to tie the Saint Joseph's single-season record with 99.

Bryant, who is still sidelined with a fractured arm suffered in the Temple game on Feb. 22, was on the court for the opening tip and then was taken out of the game immediately. Coach Phil Martelli suggested the idea to Bryant and his parents, and left the final decision up to them.

"Since Wednesday I knew I was going to offer him the opportunity because I knew the fans would respond that way. I just had to figure out a way to do it. We checked with his family and they agreed to it just this morning. I assured his mother that he would be away from the action," said Martelli. "There was no disrespect meant - it was just a way to honor John."

After a 3-6 start to the season, the Hawks opened their conference schedule with a 53-50 win over Fordham Jan. 5 and have only lost four games since.