PHILADELPHIA – Five Hawks finished with double-digits as the Saint Joseph's women's basketball team used a 26-point third quarter to fuel a 76-52 win over La Salle on Saturday afternoon inside Hagan Arena.
Mackenzie Smith scored a team-high 22 points on 8-12 shooting, knocking down five three-pointers.
Laura Ziegler added 14 points and 13 rebounds for her 15
th double-double of the season.
Paula Maurina scored a season-high 14 points in the win, while sophomores
Aleah Snead and
Gabby Casey each finished with 10 points.
Joan Quin led the Explorers with a game-high 23 points, leading La Salle with six rebounds and three assists. Ayisse Magassa was a perfect 4-4 from the floor with eight points.
Saint Joseph's (15-4, 6-2 Atlantic 10) jumped out to a quick lead, doubling La Salle's (7-14, 1-7 Atlantic 10) points in the opening quarter before extending the advantage to 10 just 13 seconds into the second frame. Despite maintaining the advantage throughout the majority of the half, the Explorers fought back with an 8-2 run into the break to cut the deficit to 31-27.
The Hawks opened with the first eight points before a 16-0 run over a 3:30 span midway through the quarter closed the door on the Explorers with a 21-point lead headed into the final frame. St. Joe's outscored La Salle 19-16 in the final frame for a 76-52 victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Smith scored 20+ points for the second-consecutive game and the seventh time on the season.
- Ziegler has now recorded 36 double-doubles in her career, adding three assists and three steals in the win.
- Maurina's 14 points are the second-most of her three-year Saint Joseph's career, an 18-point effort last season against Rhode Island marking her best performance as a Hawk.
- Snead tallied her fourth game with double-digit scoring while her six rebounds matched a season-high. The sophomore also recorded a career-high with five assists while matching her career-best of three steals.
- Casey has made multiple three-pointers in each of the last four games, finishing the afternoon with 10 points and six rebounds.
- Kaylie Griffin recorded a career-high four assists for the fourth time this season.
- St. Joe's finished 28-54 (51.9%) from the field and 8-19 (42.1%) from three-point range. The Hawks shot above 50% for the ninth time this season.
- SJU outrebounded La Salle 36-24, converting nine offensive rebounds to 15 second chance points.
- The Hawks have now tallied 55 wins over the Explorers and are winners of the last four games in the series.
- The win is the seventh time this season that St. Joe's has never trailed all game.
UP NEXT
The Hawks wrap up the month on Wednesday, January 29 at Davidson. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Belk Arena.
