PHILADELPHIA – The Saint Joseph's women's basketball team concluded the 2022 season on a high note, knocking off La Salle on the road in an Atlantic 10 opening, Big 5 closing contest on Saturday afternoon in Tom Gola Arena.
 
The Hawks (3-1 Big 5, 1-0 A-10) finish in sole possession of second in the city standings, while La Sale falls to 0-4 in Big 5 play and 0-1 in the conference. The win cuts a three-game losing streak for the Hawks over the Philly counterparts, moving to 51-15 overall in the series.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Hawks grabbed the first basket of the afternoon with a pullup jumper off the glass from Olivia Mullins, but a flurry of triples early for the Explorers gave them a quick 10-4 advantage. La Salle extended the lead to as much as 17-6, the Hawks chipping away to finish the quarter on an 8-2 run to trail 19-14.
• Talya Brugler opened the second quarter with an early basket for her 10^th point of the contest, setting a tone for the Hawks as they worked back in the game. After trimming into the lead, the Explorers were able to extend back to six points midway through the quarter.
• A Laura Ziegler triple and a Brugler layup cut the lead to one for La Salle, Katie Jekot recording her fifth assist of the night. Jekot then turned scorer, knocking down a three with 2:31 remaining to tie the game at 29 apiece. Jekot's final contribution of the half was a sixth dime in 13 minutes of action to give the first lead for the Hawks since the opening bucket. Both teams traded points for SJU to take a 35-34 advantage into the break.
• St. Joe's opened the third on an 8-2 run from four different scorers, expanding the lead to seven before forcing the Explorers into a quick timeout. The lead extended as much as nine in the third before the Explorers chipped away at the deficit.
• Emma Boslet knocked down four free throws in the latter stages of the third, able to keep the Explorers at bay en route to eclipsing double figures for the first time in her collegiate career, including two with a second left on the clock to give the Hawks a 51-46 headed into the final frame.
• The Explorers knocked down a triple in the opening possession of the fourth to cut the lead to two before tying the contest on the next possession. SJU grabbed four-straight points of its own before both teams traded baskets headed into the final four minutes of the contest.
• Leading by one with just under two minutes remaining, Jekot recorded her 10^th assist, a season-high, after finding Brugler below off an inbounds pass to give the Hawks a 63-60 lead.
• Converting two free throws on the other end, the Explorers forced a turnover and took a chance to take the lead with less than a minute remaining. Jaden Walker's pressure on an entry pass inside allowed the Crimson and Gray to regain possession. Jekot once again came up with the big play, driving to the basket and floating the ball through the netting to give the Hawks a three-point lead.
• Another defensive stop and a free throw iced the game for St. Joe's, walking out of Big 5 rival territory with a 68-64 victory.

 
GAME NOTES

• Katie Jekot (369) moved to 10^th all-time in program history in assists with her 11 assists, surpassing Erin Shields (366) for the spot in the record books.
• Emma Boslet finished with career-highs in both points (11) and rebounds (9) on the afternoon, grabbing the most boards for the Hawks.
• Talya Brugler led the scoring with 20 points on 9-15 shooting. Brugler has averaged 18.3 points over her last seven games, her fourth time this season eclipsing 20+.
• Laura Ziegler finished with  11 points in her Atlantic 10 debut.
• The Hawks were 25-57 from the field for 43.9%, finishing with 17 assists on the 25 field goals. The Explorers were 54.2% from the field in the first half, finishing 21-47 (44.7%) from the field and 17-18 (94.4%) from the line.
• The Jacobs sisters from La Salle combined for 33 points and 23 rebounds for the Explorers.
• LAS posted a 38-23 advantage in rebounds, a 12-6 margin in second chance opportunities.
• St. Joe's forced a season-high 11 steals on the day, La Salle suffering a 21-10 margin in turnovers. The 21 turnovers led to 17 points for the Hawks.

 
UP NEXT

• The Hawks continue the road stand to start the Atlantic 10 season with a trip to Washington D.C. to face off against George Washington. The January 4 matchup is set for a 6 p.m. tip on ESPN+.