Saint Joseph's Hosts #17 George Washington Sunday on CSTV :: Game to be televised nationally on CSTV

Feb. 23, 2008

PHILADELPHIA - Saint Joseph's women's basketball team looks to remain in contention for a bye in this year's Atlantic 10 Championship as the Hawks host Atlantic 10 leading #17/16 George Washington Sunday at noon. The contest - a rematch of last March's A-10 semifinal in which the Hawks topped the # 8 ranked colonials 57-55 - will be televised nationally on CSTV.

• Click here for Saint Joseph's game notes.

GAME STORIES . . .
• The Hawks enter the contest 25-22 all-time versus GW, winning the previous matchup, 57-55, against the then #8/9 ranked Colonials last March 4 in the semifinals of the A-10 Championship.
• Saint Joseph's is 31-104 all-time versus ranked opponents, posting a 2-3 mark against ranked George Washington squads.
• Senior guard Timisha Gomez is coming off back-to-back 21-point performances versus Richmond and Temple. Gomez's 87.0 free-throw percentage is currently fifth highest among SJU single-season marks.
• Saint Joseph's is expecting over 100 area Girl Scouts to be in attendance Sunday as the Hawks celebrate Girl Scout Day at Hawk Hill. All scouts in uniform will receive a ticket to the game.
• SJU raised over $500 for the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition on Feb. 9 as the Hawks and Duquesne took part in the WBCA's "Think Pink" campaign.

LAST TIME OUT
Despite 21 points from senior guard Timisha Gomez, Saint Joseph's couldn't hold off Temple, falling 63-60 to the Owls at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse. The Hawks held a 60-54 advantage with 2:43 to play, but Temple scored the final nine points of the ball game to earn the victory.

FOR STARTERS
Through the first 26 games of the 2007-08 slate, the Hawks have used seven combinations of starters. The following is a breakdown of the starting five and Saint Joseph's records in those contests.
Starters - W-L
Logue/Acker/McDade/Loschiavo/Gomez - 4-4
Logue/Wold/McDade/Gillespie/Gomez - 1-0
Logue/Acker/Wold/McDade/Gomez - 4-2
Logue/Acker/Wold/McDade/Loschiavo - 0-1
Acker/Gillespie/McDade/Loschiavo/Gomez - 0-3
Ford/Acker/Wold/McDade/Gomez - 5-1
Ford/Acker/Gillespie/McDade/Gomez - 0-1

GOMEZ CLIMBS TOWARDS SJU ALL-TIME GAMES PLAYED MARK
Having played 119 games out of a possible 120 in her career, senior guard Timisha Gomez has climbed towards Saint Joseph's all-time record of games played, set at 124 by Kimy Foley (1985-89). Gomez's only game she has missed came this past December at Villanova, sitting out for precautionary reasons after a mild injury suffered at Brown.
Rank - SJU Career Leaders (Years) - Games Played
1. - Kim Foley (1985-89) - 124 2. - Debbie Black (1984-88) - 123 2. - Stephanie Graff (2000-04) - 123 2. - Irina Krasnshiok (2000-04) - 123 2. - Amra Mehmedic (2000-04) - 123 6. - Susan Moran (1998-02) - 122 7. - Angela Zampella (1997-01) - 120 8. - Ellen Shields (1986-90) - 119 8. - Timisha Gomez (2004-Present) -119

CAPTAINS ON THE DECK
Saint Joseph's Head Coach Cindy Griffin named seniors Timisha Gomez, Krista Hutchison and junior Mary Kate McDade as the team's captains for the 2007-08 season. All three Hawks are first-time captains.

ACKER NEARS ROOKIE REBOUND RECORD
With 226 rebounds to date, freshman center Sarah Acker is already among Saint Joseph's single-season rebounding leaders, tied for 16th overall, and tied for ninth in rebounding average (8.7 rpg). While Acker will finish among the all-time leaders in boards, the rookie is on pace to surpass the freshman record for rebounds, set at 261 by Tina Dishman during the 1976-77 season. Below is a look at the all-time freshman rebounding record.

Rank - Name(Year) - Rebounds
1. - Tina Dishman (1976-77) - 261
2. - Hillary Klimowicz (2005-06) - 226
2. - Sarah Acker (2007-08) - 226
4. - Susan Moran (1998-99) - 202

THREE HAWKS EARN ATLANTIC 10 AND BIG 5 WEEKLY HONORS
Both the Atlantic 10 and the Philadelphia Big 5 have recognized three Saint Joseph's players throughout the course of this season for their exceptional play on a weekly basis. Seniors Timisha Gomez (1/14) and Amy Wold (12/31) have both earned Big 5 Player of the Week accolades, while freshman Sarah Acker has been selected Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week four times (12/10, 12/31, 2/11, 2/18) and Big 5 Player of the Week once (2/11).

GO-TO GOMEZ
It has been a solid senior season for guard Timisha Gomez. Averaging a career-high in scoring (10.9 ppg), the Elkridge, Md., native has led the Hawks in scoring seven times and scored in double figures 15 times. Gomez, who has set a career-high of 21 points three times this year, earned Brown Classic All-Tournament Team honors after helping SJU to the title.

HITTING NEW HEIGHTS
Despite returning eight letterwinners this season, the Hawks still lost its three top scorers heading into 2007-08. No worries, several Saint Joseph's players have stepped up their scoring performances, with five Hawks setting new career highs. The following is a list of SJU members who have set new single-game bests this year.
Player - Previous High / New High
Amy Gillespie - 9 / 22
Timisha Gomez - 19 / 21
Ashley Logue - 2 / 16
Mary Kate McDade - 6 / 9
Amy Wold - 9 / 21

LOSCHIAVO AMONG TOP THREE-POINT SHOOTERS IN SJU HISTORY
Arguably Saint Joseph's most consistent three-point threat, junior Jenna Loschiavo has continued to etch her name in the Hawk's record book this year. Coming off a career-high 71 three pointers as a sophomore - tying for 10th in single-season history - Loschiavo has ascended into the top-10 for both career three pointers made and attempted. Both her 140 field goals from behind the arc and 378 attempts rank seventh all-time, with her 37.0 field goal percentage currently sixth.

SAINT JOSEPH'S VERSUS THE POLLS
Topping No. 15 Auburn in the title game of the Hilton Philadelphia Hawk Classic, Saint Joseph's improved to 31-104 all-time versus ranked opponents and 1-2 on the season. The Hawks previously lost to No. 5/6 Rutgers, 56-50, November 28 and to No. 21/22 Wyoming, 66-64, on December 8. The Hawk last win over a ranked team came on March 4, 2007 as SJU topped No. 8/9 George Washington, 57-55. For a complete list of the SJU's results versus ranked opponents, please see page 138 of the Saint Joseph's media guide.

ACK ATTACK
Having played in just 26 collegiate games, Saint Joseph's freshman Sarah Acker has already made an impact for the Hawks. Saint Joseph's leader in scoring (12.3 ppg), the Nanticoke, Pa., native currently is third in the Atlantic 10 in rebounding (8.7 rpg) and is fourth in blocks (42), with her team-leading 60.3 field goal percentage second in the A-10. Ackers' 42 blocks are currently tied for fifth in SJU single-season history.

MCING IT HAPPEN
Serving as backup point guard her first two seasons on Hawk Hill, junior Mary Kate McDade has thrived this year as a starter. Currently sixth in the Atlantic 10, and first on SJU, the Philadelphia native has dished out 107 assists over the first 26 games (4.12), well above her career average (1.47 apg). Also, McDade has become a bigger scoring threat this season, scoring 80 points this year, compared to 75 over her first two seasons.

GILLESPIE GOING STRONG
It has been a breakout season for sophomore guard Amy Gillespie. Tied for fifth in scoring (7.0 ppg), second in three pointers (35) and earning Hawkeye Challenge All-Tournament Team honors, the the Springfield, Pa., native has thrived in a larger role this season. Gillespie, who averaged 21 points per game at the Hawkeye Challenge, more than tripled her entire scoring (44) and rebounding (21) totals from last season, as she enters Wednesday's game with 174 points and 68 rebounds. She is also one of only four Hawks to register 20-point games twice this season.

SO NICE THEY NAMED HER IT TWICE
Having already earned MVP honors at the Brown Basketball Classic after leading SJU to the title, senior guard Amy Wold again earned some hardware, earning MVP accolades at the Hilton Philadelphia Hawk Classic. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native scored a team-high 17 points and had five assists and six rebounds in SJU's title-game win over No. 15 Auburn. Wold averaged 12.5 points, 6.0, assists and 5.0 rebounds per game in helping the Hawks to their second in-season title of the year. Over the four-game span, the senior averaged 14 points and 5.25 assists per game.

FORD TOUGH
Averaging 13 points and 6.8 rebounds per game en route to Atlantic 10 All-Tournament honors last March, forward Brittany Ford was expecting a stellar start to the 2007-08 season. That didn't occur as planned as the Wilmington, DE native missed the opening 10 games with a minor knee injury. Returning to the lineup at Seton Hall, Ford is still shaking off the rust, but has still posted solid numbers for SJU, averaging 7.8 points, 2.7 rebounds per game, to go along with 13 blocks. At Temple, Ford posted a season-high with 19 points and added five rebounds.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Hawks complete the both the road and Big 5 portion of their schedule Wednesday, February 27 at La Salle. Tip is set for 7 p.m.

POST MANEUVERS
With several Hawks having a larger role this season compared to last, there is no arguing the transformation of SJU's sophomore forward Ashley Logue. Playing limited time in just seven games a year ago, Logue has excelled this year, playing in all 26 games, including 16 starts. Scoring only two points and adding six rebounds as a rookie, Logue eclipsed all her career-highs in the opener at Lehigh (16 points and six rebounds). To date, Logue has scored 143 points (5.5 ppg) and added 99 boards (3.8 rpg).

SJU CLAIMS HILTON PHILADELPHIA HAWK CLASSIC TITLE
The Hilton Philadelphia Hawk Classic championship trophy returned to Saint Joseph's as the Hawks topped NO. 15 Auburn, 71-69, in the title game (recap on page 18). The Hawks earned the title, the sixth in 17 years, backed by MVP Amy Wold and All-Tournament Team member Sarah Acker's 17 and 16 points, respectively. Saint Joseph's previously won the Hawk Classic in 1993, 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2001. The Hawks topped NJIT, 68-59, in the opening round as senior guard Timisha Gomez paced SJU with 16 points.

HEART OF A HAWK
In addition to athletics and academics, community service has long been one of the traditions of the Saint Joseph's University women's basketball program. The "Heart of a Hawk" program is the team's way of "giving back" to the community. Each student athlete is required to complete a minimum of 10 hours of community service each semester.

LIGHTS, CAMERAS, HAWKS
Former SJU standouts Jane Meade '02, Elizabeth Mohan '04, Ayahna Cornish '07 and current SJU assistant coach Susan Moran '02, will appear in the upcoming film "Our Lady of Victory", centered around the 1972 national-championship squad from Immaculata. The movie, starring Ellen Burstyn (Requiem For A Dream), Carla Gugino (HBO's Entourage) and David Boreanaz (Fox's Bones), focuses on the Mighty Macs of Immaculata and their new coach Cathy Rush (played by Gugino). Realizing her dream as a coach, Rush leads Immaculata from a team with no gym to the first national title in women's basketball. The movie is due out in March.

WOLD AND GOMEZ LEADS SJU TO BROWN CLASSIC CHAMPIONSHIP
The Hawks captured their 14th in-season title in program history as SJU topped Manhattan (65-58) and Brown (65-54) to claim the Brown Basketball Classic title. Saint Joseph's senior Amy Wold earned MVP honors after posting a career-high 20 points and seven assists in the title game. Classmate Timisha Gomez was named to the All-Tournament Team as she led SJU with 17 points in the opener versus the Jaspers.