Feb. 13, 2010

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - Despite going 4-for-10 from the foul line over the final 27 seconds, Saint Joseph's women's basketball team held on to beat Saint Louis, 71-67, Saturday at Michael J. Hagan '85 Arena. Hawks' senior center Ashley Logue matched her career high with 20 points as SJU improved to 13-12 overall and 6-4 in the Atlantic 10.

Saint Joseph's, which led by seven points with 6:34 left in the game, saw the Billikens slowly chip away at the lead to make it a one-possession game for the final five minutes.

Saint Louis (8-17, 2-8 A-10) made it a one-point game three separate times, with the Hawks answering at the other end.

Saint Joseph's senior forward Brittany Ford's steal and layup put her team up 67-64with 2:20 to go, but the Billikens would again get within a point as Lauren Woods made it a 67-66 game with :36 remaining.

Ford made the second of two free throws to give SJU a two-point edge, but Saint Louis got the ball with a chance to tie. On the ensuing inbounds, the Billikens' Janisha Gearlds couldn't handle an inbounds pass along the leftsideline, losing it out of bounds.

Hawks' senior guard Amy Gillespie was fouled immediately on the inbounds, but couldn't convert either free throw, allowing Saint Louis another chance to tie with 24 seconds left.

Gearlds turned the ball over again, losing control of her dribble at midcourt and knocking down SJU's Ashley Prim as she picked up the loose ball. Prim failed to extend the Hawks' edge, leading to a foul at the other end that sent Amanda Kemezys to the line for a chance to tie the game with :06.6 to go.

Kemezys missed the front end, but made the second to make it a 68-67 contests. The Billikens fouled Prim on the inbounds, with Prim making the first free throw. On the second attempt, Prim's shot went off the back iron, bouncing deep to the left side where Saint Joseph's sophomore guard Michelle Baker grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled. Baker knocked down both free throws to seal the win for SJU.

In the first half, the Hawks opened an 11-4 lead to start the game, but gave up nine-straight points at Saint Louis took a 13-11 edge on a layup by Mallory Eggert at 12:34.

Saint Joseph's used s 10-2 run to end the half to go from up one, 30-29, to take a 40-31 lead into halftime as the Hawks scored eight points in the final two minutes.

The Hawks' lead was short lived as Saint Louis opened up strong in the second half, scoring 10-straight points to take a 41-40 lead on a Gearlds jumper with 16:18 to go.

Neither team would pull away though, as the Hawks opened the biggest lead, 59-52, before the frantic final minutes.

For the game, Saint Joseph's shot 46.4 percent from the floor (25-of-56), 23.1 percent from three-point range (3-of-13), but shot just 59.3 percent from the foul line (16-of-27).

Individually, Logue's 20 points matched her career high that she set last year against Richmond, as she finished 8-of-13 from the floor, 4-of-4 from the foul line and added two assists, two blocks and three steals. Senior guard Mariame Djouara, who hit two big jumpers for SJU in the final minutes, finished with 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds, while Prim handed out a season-high eight assists to go with six points and three steals.

At the other end, the Billikens got 15 points apiece from Lauren Woods and Kemezys and shot 43.3 percent from the floor (26-of-60) as a team.

The Hawks return to action this Wednesday when they host Rhode Island at 7 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on CBS College Sports.

OF NOTE: The Hawks and Billikens participated in the WBCA's Think Pink campaign today, raising money for the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition...SJU held a silent auction, sold commemorative t-shirts and donated tickets sales to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition...Photos from today's game available at www.sidephotos.com