GAME INFORMATION:

DAY ONE – Friday, December 20
Game 1 | St. Joe's vs. Howard (ESPN+) – 11 a.m.
Game 2 | Northwestern vs. College of Charleston (ESPN+) – 1 p.m.

DAY TWO – Saturday, December 21
Game 3 | Howard vs. TBD (ESPN+) – 11 a.m.
Game 4 | St. Joe's vs. TBD (ESPN+) – 1 p.m.

The winners of day one will meet on the second day of the tournament. Howard and Saint Joseph's are locked into the times for the second day, the results of the first day deciding which game is the consolation and which is the championship.


AT THE TIP

• The Hawks host the 29th edition of the Hawk Classic presented by Jersey Mike's over two days on December 20-21. St. Joe's won its 12th title in the event last season, defeating UAB in the championship game.
• St. Joe's takes on Howard in the opening round, while Northwestern and College of Charleston meet on the other side of the bracket.
• The Crimson and Gray enter off the bounce of two-consecutive wins over Drexel and Maine, entering the tournament at 7-2.

LAST TIME OUT

• For the fifth time this season, the Hawks won by at least a 20-point margin after taking down Maine in a 74-48 victory over a week ago inside of Hagan Arena.
• St. Joe's broke out to a quick lead, doubling the Black Bear tally after the opening frame. Maine climbed back in the second quarter to reduce the Hawk lead to just seven. A 15-point effort in the third quarter from Mackenzie Smith helped extend the advantage out of reach after St. Joe's shot 70% from the field in the second half.
• Smith led the Hawks with a season-high 26 points, setting a career-high six three-pointers. Laura Ziegler dropped 16 points to go with 16 rebounds, while Talya Brugler (14) and Gabby Casey (11) finished with double-digit scoring.

HAWKS IN THE NCAA RANKS

• The Hawks rank eighth in the country in assists per game (19.9) and ninth in the NCAA in assist/turnover ratio (1.52).
• St. Joe's ranks third in the country in both three-point percentage (41.0%) and in free throw percentage (81.5%).
• Laura Ziegler's seven double-doubles on the season ranks fifth in the NCAA, entering the Hawk Classic with 11.1 rebounds per game to rank seventh in the NCAA. Her 8.8 defensive rebounds puts her in the to five in the nation.
• Mackenzie Smith is shooting at an elite level, knocking down 50% of her attempts from distance (fifth in the country). Her 2.89 makes per game from range also rank 24th in the nation.
• Talya Brugler ranks 10th in free throw percentage with a 95.5% clip the free throw line (min. 20 attempts).
• Only Creighton (82.1%) has had a better free throw percentage since the start of the 2023-24 season than Saint Joseph's (81.0%).

MILESTONE MARKS

• Head Coach Cindy Griffin earned her 400th win at the helm of St. Joe's over Syracuse and her 450th career win against Southern Utah.
• Mackenzie Smith sits 17 points shy of Maureen Costello (1994-98) for 12th in scoring in program history.
• Talya Brugler and Smith became the 64th and 65th Hawk to reach 100 career games played at St. Joe's, each fewer than five starts to become the 12th and 13th Hawk to start in 100 games for St. Joe's.
• Brugler became the 24th Hawk in program history to record 500 rebounds in a career after surpassing the feat against Penn. Brugler surpassed Angela Zampella and Trish Brown for sixth in scoring in program history (1,523).
• Laura Ziegler needs just 34 points to become the 31st Hawk in program history to reach 1,000 career points.

SERIES REWIND

• Saint Joseph's hosts Howard in the opening round of the Hawk Classic, meeting for just the fourth time in program history.
• The meeting between the two teams will be the first in over 40 years, all three games coming in a span of three seasons between 1981-83.
• A meeting with the College of Charleston would be the first in program history, while the Hawks have met Northwestern one time prior in a 95-78 win in the 1988-89 season.