Saint Joseph's University

A Quick Turnaround For Men's Basketball As Hawks Head To #10 Tennessee Monday

12/20/2020 6:17:00 PM

GAMEDAY LINKS
Saint Joseph's: Roster | Schedule | Stats
Tennessee: Roster | Schedule | Stats

THE TIP-OFF
• It's another quick turnaround for Saint Joseph's as the Hawks travel to #10 Tennessee for a Monday evening matchup with the Volunteers on the SEC Network.
• Monday marks the third contest in five days for the Hawks as they are coming off games at #7 Villanova on Saturday (L, 88-68) and at Drexel on Thursday (L, 81-77).
• This season marks the first time since December of 2002 that Saint Joseph's has played three non-conference games over a five day period that were not part of an in-season tournament.
• Monday is the second of two matchups versus top-10 teams, with the Hawks facing off against rival #7 Villanova on Saturday.
• Behind a game-winning shot by Andre Howard in the final seconds, the Hawks topped #21 Tennessee, 55-53, in the previous contest on December 10, 1998 on Hawk Hill.
• Saint Joseph's previous back-to-back games against top-10 teams came during the 2005-06 season as the Hawks faced #4 Villanova (L, 71-58) on February 7, then #8 George Washington (L, 64-62) on February 11.
• Freshman Jordan Hall is coming off a 17-point, six-rebound, six-assists performance against the Wildcats on Saturday.
• Redshirt junior Taylor Funk, who is averaging a career-best 16.5 points per game this year, matched Hall with 17 points against #7 Villanova.

THE MATCHUPS
Series vs. Tennessee: Tennessee leads 2-1
First Meeting: 12/4/48, Tennessee, 83-68
Last Meeting: 12/10/98, Saint Joseph's, 55-53
Coach Lange vs. Tennessee: First Meeting
Current Saint Joseph's Streak: Won 1

SAINT JOSEPH'S VERSUS TENNESSEE
Monday marks just the fourth meeting between the Hawks and Volunteers, with Tennessee holding a 2-1 edge in the series. Below are series highlights and notes.
• The Hawks are looking to snap an eight game skid to the Wildcats that dates back to the 2012-13 season.
• Saint Joseph's won the last meeting, 55-53, over #21 Tennessee on December 10, 1998 at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.
• The Volunteers earned a 74-54 win over the Hawks in the previous contest in Knoxville on December 9, 1997.
• Tennessee won the inaugural meeting between the two squads, 83-68, on December 4 1948.
• Tennessee is the second SEC team the Hawks have faced this year as they opened the year against Auburn.

HAWKS VERSUS RANKED TEAMS
Monday marks the 186th time Saint Joseph's has faced a nationally ranked opponent when it takes on #10 Tennessee. So far this season, the Hawks have played a pair of top-10 teams in #6 Kansas (L, 94-72) AND #7 Villanova (L, 88-68). Saint Joseph's currently sits at 45-140 all-time versus ranked teams, with its last win coming on February 27, 2018, as the Hawks topped #17 Rhode Island, 78-48.

PRODUCTIVE BENCH
The Hawks enter Monday with their bench averaging 17.8 points per game.

CHALLENGING START
Saint Joseph's is facing a challenging open to its 2020-21 schedule as the Hawks face three nationally ranked teams - Kansas, Villanova and Tennessee - and another Power 5 team in Auburn. This year marks the first time since 1996-97 that SJU has faced three ranked opponents prior to the A-10 slate:
11/20/96 vs. #10 Duke L, 89-60
12/7/96 vs. #21 Tulsa W, 67- 64
12/23/96 at #10 Villanova L, 81-65

GETTING TO THE RIM
SJU has averaged 31 points in the paint per game over the first four contests.

NEXT UP
The Hawks open Atlantic 10 play when they welcome VCU to Hagan Arena on December 30. The game, set for noon, will also serve as Saint Joseph's home opener.

Follow the Saint Joseph's men's basketball team on Instagram and Twitter and like the Hawks on Facebook.

Print Friendly Version