PHILADELPHIA – The Saint Joseph's women's basketball team continued the strong start to the season on Saturday afternoon, brushing by North Florida in an 84-65 win inside Hagan Arena.
 
Head Coach Cindy Griffin has her team off to a 7-0 start, tied for her second-longest win streak to start a season (9-0 to start the season last year). The Ospreys fall to 2-7 on the year.
 
FIRST QUARTER

• Three different scorers helped the Hawks jump out to a quick 7-2 lead in the opening minutes.
• The Hawks went into the first media timeout with a 16-5 advantage, using a 9-0 run to propel the hosts into a double-digit lead.
• St. Joe's used a 10-13 (76.9%) effort over the first 10 minutes to score a season-high 29 points in the first quarter en route to an 11-point advantage.

 
SECOND QUARTER

• The first basaket for either team came with 5:43 remaining in the quarter. The Hawks held a 4-0 advantage, all on free throws, over the first four minutes. Julia Nyström found her rhythm, burying a deep three before knocking down a triple on the next possession to end the scoring drought. Chloe Welch knocked down her 13^th point of the game in transition, forcing a timeout from the Ospreys.
• North Florida used a pair of triples to cut the deficit to 17, but the Hawks were able to take a 50-31 lead into the break.

 
THIRD QUARTER

• A fourth three-pointer from Nyström gave the Hawks a 60-36 lead after a slow start from both teams to start the second half.
• Paula Maurina knocked down a pair of free-throws to break a near four-minute drought from both teams to extend the lead to 26.
• Nyström put a stamp on the quarter, picking up the rebound with five seconds left. The junior guard took a couple dribbles before launching an attempt from the opposite of half court. The low fired drive drilled the back of the rim and went straight through the net as the Hawks celebrated with a 66-44 lead heading into the final frame.

 
FOURTH QUARTER

• Only a minute into the quarter, Aleah Snead added her first points of the afternoon to build a 32-point advantage.
• St. Joe's were able to play all 13 players, coasting to an 84-65 win.

 
GAME NOTES

• Chloe Welch led all scorers with 19 points on the afternoon, her second-most points as a Hawk.
• Julia Nyström added 16 points on 5-6 shooting from the field, her second-best effort of her career. Nyström also added a team-high four assists and two steals.
• Mackenzie Smith also added 13 points in an efficient 4-5 performance from the floor.
• Talya Brigler finished with nine points, knocking down her first three of the season after starting 0-9 from deep.
• Freshman Gabby Casey added 10 points in the win, also adding five rebounds.
• The Hawks scored a season-high 85 points, including a 50-point performance in the first half. St. Joe's finished 28-61 (45.9%) from the floor and 12-28 (42.9%) from distance.
• North Florida became the first opponent to shoot above 40% in a game against SJU, finishing 26-64 (40.6%) from the floor. Entering as one of the top teams in the country in three-point attempts, the Ospreys knocked down 11-25 (44.0%) from behind the arc.
• Today was the third time this season that the Hawks were never trailing, leading for 39:38 of the contest.

 
UP NEXT
The Hawks take a quick trip to Boston for a Tuesday, December 5 matchup against the Terriers of Boston University. Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m.