PHILADELPHIA – The Saint Joseph's women's basketball squad (8-11, 2-5 A-10) returns home to host George Washington (8-11, 2-4 A-10) in Atlantic 10 action this Wednesday, January 29. Opening tip is set for 7:00 p.m. in Hagan Arena and will be streamed nationally on ESPN+.

For ticket's to Wednesday's game, please click here.

The Hawks were predicted to finish 10th in the A-10 this year, according to the 2019-20 A-10 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll conducted by the league's 14 head coaches and announced on October 29, while George Washington was predicted to finish seventh.

Saint Joseph's took over the series, 32-31, with a pair of victories last season, earning a 41-38 road win on February 10 and a 61-49 home win in the first round of the 2018-19 A-10 Championships on March 5. Prior to last season's performances, SJU had dropped its last six against the Colonials, dating back to March 7, 2014.

Last time out, Saint Joseph's sophomore guard Katie Jekot and freshman guard Kaliah Henderson combined for 30 points, but Saint Joseph's dropped an A-10 and Big 5 match-up to La Salle, 67-59, at Tom Gola Arena on Sunday, January 26. Jekot scored a team-high 16 points (6-of-22 FG) while Henderson was a spark off the bench, dropping a career-high 14 points (5-of-10 FG) to go with three rebounds and two steals in a career-high 25 minutes. SJU cut its deficit to six, 63-57, with 1:28 to go in the fourth quarter, but the Hawks shot 1-of-6 from the field in the closing 51 seconds.

BUZZER BEATER MAYOCK
Sophomore forward Katie Mayock grabbed an offensive rebound and put back the game-winning shot as time expired to send SJU past St. Bonaventure, 61-60, in Atlantic 10 action at the Reilly Center on Wednesday, January 22. The win snapped a four-game losing skid for the Hawks.

ALL-DAY KJ
Sophomore guard Katie Jekot is the returning leading scorer from last year's squad. Jekot averaged 7.5 points per game in all 31 appearances with 25 starts in 2018-19 and is SJU's returning leader in total steals (36) and three-pointers (42).

This year, the sophomore leads the squad in scoring (10.7 ppg), field goals made (71), three-pointers made (29), and minutes (31.2) and is shooting 88.9 percent (32-of-36) from the free throw line. Jekot turned in her first career double-double with a season-high 20 points and a career-high 11 rebounds – both game-high numbers - in SJU's 71-44 win over Sacred Heart on December 4 and has 11 double-digit scoring games this season.

NOTHING SMALL FROM SMALLS
In her first career start at Auburn on November 24, freshman forward Gabby Smalls stole the show with a career- and game-high 19 points (9-of-10 FG) and a team-high eight rebounds in 23 minutes of play. Despite the 66-62 loss, Smalls was a bright spot in the highly-competitive match-up.

In her second career start, at VCU on January 8, Smalls scored a team-high 14 points, with 10 coming in the fourth quarter, on 5-of-7 shooting from the field to go with six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block in 22 minutes.

Smalls leads the squad in field goal percentage (54.1 percent on 60-for-111 shooting) and rebounds per game (5.9 on 113 total boards).

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