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PHILADELPHIA – The 10th-seeded Saint Joseph's women's basketball squad (7-9, 5-9 A-10) is set to face seventh-seeded UMass (11-6, 7-5 A-10) in the Atlantic 10 Championship Second Round this Thursday, March 11. Opening tip is set for 5:00 p.m. at VCU's Siegel Center in Richmond, Va. and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN+.

In this year's meeting between the two programs back on January 29, the Hawks came away with a 76-69 road victory; tied 51-51 after three quarters, SJU used a 13-2 run to pull away for their first A-10 road win of the season. The Hawks held the Minutewomen to 3-of-8 shooting from the field and scoreless from deep (0-of-3) in the final 2:20 en route to the victory. Saint Joseph's graduate student forward Alexis Santarelli (7-of-12 FG) and graduate student guard Alayna Gribble (6-of-10 FG, 3-of-7 3FG) dropped 15 points apiece while junior forward Lovin Marsicano chipped in 12 points (7-of-8 FT) and four assists and junior forward Katie Mayock hit for 11 points (4-of-5 FG) off the bench. Sophomore guard Kaliah Henderson scored nine points while junior guard Katie Jekot dished out a team-high six assists.

SJU holds a 51-12 all-time series lead over UMass. 

The Hawks snapped an eight-game losing streak by winning their final two games of the regular season, with a 66-63 win over St. Bonaventure and a 60-52 win over Duquesne the weekend of February 26-28. Jekot (14.5 ppg, 3.3 apg), Henderson (13.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg), and sophomore forward Gabby Smalls (11.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg) led the way for the Crimson and Gray.

Averaging 10.8 points per game, Henderson leads the Hawks in scoring while Jekot ranks second in scoring (9.4 ppg) with 28 three-pointers and leads the Hawks in total steals (20) and assists (65), averaging 4.1 helpers per game. Smalls leads the squad in rebounds per game (6.8).

SJU's last five A-10 Championship finishes:
• 2019-20 - A-10 Championship First Round
• 2018-19 - A-10 Championship Quarterfinals
• 2017-18 - A-10 Championship Finals
• 2016-17 - A-10 Championship Semifinals
• 2015-16 - A-10 Championship Second Round

#HawksForChange - The Saint Joseph's women's basketball squad has worked tirelessly this year in advocating for social change, whether it was leading SJU's Diversity Equity and Inclusion group, implementing 'Black Lives Matters' t-shirts worn during practices and during pre-game, uplifting the voices of the incredible Black lives around them through Black Out Friday Spotlights, or acknowledging the choice to kneel for the National Anthem. To read more, visit Hawks For Change.

Be sure to follow the Saint Joseph's women's basketball team on Twitter and Instagram and and like the Hawks on Facebook.