Nov. 18, 2010

BALTIMORE - The Saint Joseph's women's basketball team continues its seven-game road swing as the Hawks travel to UMBC Saturday. Game time is set for 4 p.m. at the RAC Arena, with free audio broadcast provided by the Saint Joseph's Sports Network.

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GAME STORIES . . .
• Saturday's meeting with the Retrievers is the fourth between the two squads and the first at UMBC's home court.
• The Hawks hold a 3-0 edge in the all-time series with the Retrievers and won last year's contest, 77-55, in the opening game of Michael J. Hagan `85 Arena (November 21, 2009).
• Saint Joseph's is coming off a 67-49 win in its first road game of the year at Sacred Heart on Tuesday. The Hawks posted a 4-8 record on the road in 2009-10, including a 1-4 mark in non-conference games.
• As a team, Saint Joseph's is shooting 51.4 percent from the field, while holding opponents to just 31.4 percent from the floor.
• Junior guard Michelle Baker scored a career-high 17 points in the win over the Pioneers and enters Saturday's game averaging a team-best 16.5 points per game.
• The 2010-11 season marks the 38th year of Division I women's basketball at Saint Joseph's. The Hawks enter Saturday's game eight wins shy of 700, having posted a 692-360 all-time record.
• Saint Joseph's was picked to finish seventh in the 14-team Atlantic 10 according to a preseason poll conducted conference coaches and media. The Hawks were picked to finish ninth last year and finished tied for fourth.

Series History - Saint Joseph's vs. UMBC
All-Time Series: SJU leads 3-0
Last Meeting: 77-55, SJU, 11/21/09
Last SJU Win: 77-55, 11/21/09
Last UMBC Win: None
Current SJU Streak: W-3
Saturday's matchup is just the fourth meeting between the two squads and the first at UMBC...Saint Joseph's first win came in the consolation game of the 1989 Maryland Invitational, while the second victory against the Retrievers was in the opening round of the 2002 Hawk Classic...SJU topped UMBC in the opening game at Hagan Arena last year, 77-55.

FOR OPENERS
Saint Joseph's opened its 38th season with an impressive 64-49 victory over Providence , improving to 27-11 all-time in season-opening games. The Hawks, who have won 11 of their past 15 openers, improved to 7-3 in season openers under Cindy Griffin.

CAVALLO EARNS WEEKLY HONOR ROLL RECOGNITION
Junior forward Kelly Cavallo earned both Atlantic 10 and Philadelphia Big 5 Women's Basketball Weekly Honor Roll accolades after scoring 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting and grabbing nine rebounds in Saint Joseph's victory over Providence.

SHAKE AND BAKE
Junior guard Michelle Baker has proven over the opening two games of the season to be the "go to" player on Saint Joseph's this season. Baker opened the season with a career-best 16-point performance against Providence. She topped that this past Tuesday, scoring 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 3-of-5 from the foul line. For the year, Baker is averaging 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

PRIM AND PROPPER
Coming off a stellar freshman campaign, sophomore point guard Ashley Prim opened the season with a bang, handing out a team-high six assists to go with six points and six boards. The Big 5 Co-Rookie of the Year and Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team selection, she paced the Hawks in assists last year and finished fourth in the conference at 3.7 per game. As a rookie, she averaged 7.2 points per game over a team-best 26.8 minutes a game.

MAKE WAY FOR JUNIORS
Saint Joseph's junior class - Samira Van Grinsven - accounted for 55 of the Hawks' 64 points in their win over Providence. For the season, the juniors have score 99 of the team's 131 points and are currently the top four scorers on Saint Joseph's.

A HELPING HAND
The Hawks assisted on 24 of their 27 field goals in their win over Providence, with eight of 10 players recording at least one assist. The 24 helpers are the most since SJU recorded 24 in a win over Auburn on December 29, 2007. Saint Joseph's single-game mark for assists is 32 set against Fordham on December 29, 1992.

TAKING A KUE
The Hawks' returning leader in three-point field goals (31), junior guard Katie Kuester has posted two strong outings to start the year. Against Providence, she tallied 13 points and matched her career-high with five assists. On Tuesday, she led the Hawks in assists, handing out three helpers while scoring eight points to help SJU improve to 2-0 on the year. Averaging just 3.6 points per game over her first two seasons, Kuester is currently averaging 10.5 points per game and has handed out a team-best eight assists.

BLOCK PARTY
Registering nine blocks against the Friars, Saint Joseph's showed itself to be a shot-blocking threat this upcoming season. Led by seven rejections by junior forward/center Samira Van Grinsven, the Hawks fell just three blocks short of their single-game high of 12 (vs. Richmond 1/14/07). Saint Joseph's is currently averaging 5.5 rejections per game, with Van Grinsven leading the charge with eight blocks.

EFFICIENT CAVALLO
One thing junior Kelly Cavallo proved over her freshman and sophomore seasons was that she was one of the more efficient scorers on the team. A career 51.1 percent shooter (46-of-90), Cavallo has shined in her increased role as a starter this year. She enters Saturday's contests shooting 73.3 percent from the floor (11-of-15), topping both the Hawks and the Atlantic 10.

BRYANT AND KUESTER TO SERVE AS CAPTAINS IN 2010-11
Senior Dominique Bryant and junior Katie Kuester will serve as captains for the Hawks during the 2010-11 season. Bryant was one of three captains a season ago, while Kuester is in her first year of captaincy.

THE HAWKS' IRONWOMAN
Junior guard Michelle Baker has been the Hawks' Ironwoman the past three years. Since her freshman season in 2008-09, Baker has appeared in every game for SJU, making 14 starts in 64 career games. She is currently averaging 6.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game for her career.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Hawks will play their third-straight road contest on Tuesday at Drexel. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at the Daskalakis Center.