PHILADELPHIA – The Saint Joseph's women's basketball team took a lengthy delay in action and bounced back to winning ways, opening the 27^th Annual Hawk Classic with a 70-62 win over Wright State inside Hagan Arena on Tuesday afternoon.
 
Led by a combined 48 points from Talya Brugler and Mackenzie Smith, the Hawks (10-1) are set to face James Madison (9-2) in the championship on Wednesday afternoon after the Dukes handled Eastern Michigan in game two of the tournament.
 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• A 10-day hiatus showed itself in the early stages, allowing the Raiders to get off to a quick 4-0 lead in the opening minutes. The Hawks were quick to shake off the rust, Brugler connecting on six of the next nine points in the game to help to the first and only lead change of the game.
• Brugler netted her 10^th point of the first quarter with 46 seconds remaining,giving the hosts an 18-14 advantage after 10 minutes.
• After both teams opened with exchanging baskets on their possssions early in the second frame, the Hawks sparked a quick 9-2 run led by a Kaylie Griffin drive and dish to a wide open Nyström in the corner for three to extend the advantage to double figures. After Wright St. cut the lead to just six, Brugler's 14^th point and Smith's 11^th of the day regained the ten point advantage for SJU.
• Wright St. closed the gap to five points before neither team could collect points in the final minute of the half, heading to the locker room at 35-30 in favor of the Crimson and Gray.
• On the other end of the break, the Hawks collected a quick 6-0 run in the first 1:25 to force a Raider timeout, pushing the lead back to 41-30. Laura Ziegler capped off the 8-3 eventual run with six of the eight points for SJU.
• For the seventh-straight game, Olivia Mullins connected on a triple, her second of the afternoon giving her squad a 50-35 advantage, one that would extend to a game-high 17-point advantage two possessions later. Jaden Walker connected on a beautiful backdoor pass to a cutting Smith who layed in her 15^th point of the ballgame.
• Yet again, the visitors found a way to claw themselves back into the contest, cutting the lead back down to six after just under four minutes of action. A pair of Smith free throws gave the Hawks an eight-point lead heading into the final quarter.
• With each team trading punches, the Hawks did a great job over the course of the opening eight minutes to keep the Raiders more than two possessions away, extending the lead back to 10 points yet again after a pair of Brugler free throws that pushed her past her previous career-high – 23 points on multiple occasions.
• One final push from WSU cut the deficit to 64-59, but the Hawks held on and used defense and the foul line to walk out 70-62 winners in the opening round of The Hawk Classic.

 
GAME NOTES

• Brugler tallied a career-high 27 points in the win, surpassing a mark of 23 held twice before today. The sophomore also posted seven rebounds and three assists.
• Mackenzie Smith also added 21 (9-10 from the free throw line) points on 10 shots, a season-high. Smith also recorded six rebounds.
• Brugler and Smith combined for 18 of the 22 free throw attempts for the Hawks, connecting on 16 of the 18. SJU finished 19-22 (86.4%) from the line, Mullins recording all four of her free throws in the final 30 seconds of the game.
• Today's game marked the first time of the season with two 20+ scorers, last achieved in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament last season.
• In one of her best games as a Hawk, Mullins finished with a career-tying 11 points, a career-high nine rebounds and a career-tying six assists.
• Nyström also recorded a career-high in assists, adding seven helpers and two steals in the win.
• The Hawks shot 24-53 (45.3%) from the field in the victory, only taking 13 attempts from deep, connecting on just three (23.1%). St. Joe's dominated in the paint with 40 points compared to Wright State's 22.
• All 70 points for the Hawks came from the starting five, the three subs off the bench combining for just four attempts from the field.
• The Hawks led for 36:08 of the contest, trailing for 2:31.
• The 10-1 record ties for the best start in program history, the 1984-85 team and the 1976-77 team also sitting at 10-1 after 11 games.

 
UP NEXT

• The Hawks and Dukes face off on Wednesday, December 21 for the championship game. The game will start following the conclusion of the consolation matchup between Eastern Michigan and Wright State – that match set for 1 p.m. Both games can be found on ESPN+.