SJU's Cloud Named To Naismith Trophy Women's Basketball 50 Watch List

Women's Basketball 12/18/2014 1:00:00 PM SJU Athletic Communications

Women's Basketball Returns To Action At Notre Dame On Sunday

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Saint Joseph's women's basketball team returns to action after an 11-day break for final exams as it travels to #5/4 Notre Dame on Sunday. The Hawks will look to return to the win column as they face SJU Hall of Famer Muffet McGraw's Fighting Irish at 1 p.m.

GAME STORIES . . .
• The Hawks are coming off a 65-51 loss at Penn on December 9.
• Sunday's meeting marks the third contest against the Fighting Irish, but the first in South Bend, Indiana.
• The all-time series is tied at 1-1 with Notre Dame winning the previous meeting, 72-53, in the Inaugural Hawk Classic title game on December 29, 1990.
• Saint Joseph's head coach Cindy Griffin (nee Anderson) finished with two points and four assists in that game, while director of basketball operation Katie Gardler (nee Curry), who was named to the All-Tournament Team, added nine points.
• Sunday matchup pits the Hawks against one of their all-time best players, Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw (nee O'Brien).
• A standout from 1973-77, McGraw guided the Hawks to a 60-11 mark during her playing career and has been inducted into the SJU Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (1986), Big 5 Hall of Fame (1990) and the SJU Athletics Hall of Fame (2002).
• Griffin, McGraw are two of three former Hawks that are current head coaches at the Division I level. Eastern Illinois' Debbie Black '88 is the third.
• Saint Joseph's has lost six straight road contests dating back to 2013-14, matching its longest road losing streak. The Hawks previously lost six in a row from February 19, 1998 to December 6, 1998.

Series History - Saint Joseph's vs. Notre Dame
All-Time Series: Tied 1-1
Last Meeting: 12/29/90, ND, 72-53
Last SJU Win: 1/24/87, 74-57
Last ND Win: 12/29/90, 72-53
Current SJU Streak: L-1

SAINT JOSEPH'S VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
Sunday marks the 154th time Saint Joseph's has faced a nationally ranked opponent as the Hawks travel to #5/4 Notre Dame. Saint Joseph's enters the game with a 33-120 record versus ranked opponents. The Hawks have lost four straight games to ranked opponents, including a 76-52 loss at #24 Rutgers to start this season. Full results versus ranked opponents are available on pages 133-134 of the Saint Joseph's University Media Guide.

CLOUD NAMED TO NAISMITH TROPHY WATCH LIST
Senior guard Natasha Cloud has been recognized as one of the top players in the nation as she was named to the Naismith Trophy Women's Basketball 50 Watch List. Proving to be one of the best point guards in the nation the past few seasons, the Broomall, Pennsylvania, native has picked up where she left off a season ago, ranking 19th nationally is assists (5.8 apg), while pacing the Hawks with a career-high 7.3 rebounds a game. Starting all nine games, the A-10 Preseason First Team and A-10 All-Defensive Team honoree is currently shooting a career-best 45 percent from the field (36-80) and ranks third on the team in scoring at 10.7 points per game.

GRIFFIN SETS CAREER WINS RECORD
With her team's 58-54 win over Villanova on December 7, Saint Joseph's head coach Cindy Griffin became the all-time leader in wins at Hawk Hill. With the victory, Griffin collected her 249th win with the Hawks, passing the previous mark of 248 set by Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Jim Foster. Over 14 seasons, Griffin has posted a 249-172 record at Saint Joseph's.

ANDREWS' SOLID START
Guard Ciara Andrews came into her own as a sophomore, averaging 9.2 points per game and starting 17 contests a season ago. She has brought that momentum into this season as the potent offensive weapon has led the Hawks in scoring three times and is currently seventh in the Atlantic 10 in scoring at 15.1 points per game.

ROBINSON RETURNS FOR FINAL SEASON
Graduate student Ashley Robinson is making the most of her sixth season at SJU. Missing the first two seasons (2009-11) due to leg injury, the 6-foot-2 forward has continually improved every season. A two-year starter, Robinson averaged a career-best 6.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game over 25 contests last year, but has already surpassed them with a 9.8 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game average this season.

FREE THROW WOES
Saint Joseph's graduate student Ashley Robinson accounted for the entire team's free throws at Penn on December 9 as the starting forward went 2-2. The two foul shots are the lowest total by the Hawks during head coach Cindy Griffin's tenure.

FITZPATRICK MAKING MOST OF OPPORTUNITY
Serving as a reserve her freshman season, sophomore guard Kathleen Fitzpatrick has thrived this year. Tallying just 39 points as a rookie (2.1 ppg), Fitzpatrick has already surpassed that as she has tallied 72 points over the first nine games, good for a 8.0 points per game average. She additionally is tied for fifth in the Atlantic 10 three pointers per game (2.1).

STRODE RETURNS TO LINEUP
After missing 61 straight games dating back to the 2012-13 season due to injury, redshirt sophomore guard Jordan Strode has been a bright spot for the Hawks this year. Appearing in eight games, including a start at Rutgers, Strode is averaging 2.0 points and 0.8 rebounds per game.

NEW YEAR, NEW RULE
Joining the Hawks as a walk-on last season, guard Mackenzie Rule appeared in four games, tallying two rebounds and an assist in 10 minutes of time. With the new year, Rule's role has expanded as the sophomore has already appeared in seven games, tallying six rebounds, three assists, three points and averaging 7.6 minutes per game.

FRANKLYN AND WOODS GARNER PLAYING TIME
Freshmen Adashia Franklyn and Chelsea Woods have already proven to be key contributors early into the season. Appearing in all nine games, Franklyn is currently second on the team in blocked shots (eight) and has led SJU in rebounding twice, including a season-best 11 versus St. Francis Brooklyn. A prolific scorer Freire Charter, Woods ranked 11th nationally last year as a senior at 32.6 points per game. This season, she tops the SJU reserves at 3.0 points per game and is coming off an eight rebound, four steal, four point performance at Penn.

UP NEXT
Saint Joseph's returns home to host the Hawk Classic on December 28 and 29. The Hawks open play versus Quinnipiac at 2 p.m. on Sunday, with Florida Gulf Coast and Cal State Northridge following in the other semifinal at 4:30 p.m.