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Saint Joseph's Women's Basketball Tops La Salle, 79-55, In Atlantic 10 Tournament Opener

LOWELL, Mass. – The Saint Joseph’s women’s basketball team never trailed after the opening minute and had nine players score as the Hawks topped La Salle, 79-55, Friday afternoon in the Opening Round of the 2011 Atlantic 10 Tournament at The Tsongas Center. The Hawks advance to face top-seeded #6 Xavier at noon on Saturday.

LOWELL, Mass. – The Saint Joseph's women's basketball team never trailed after the opening minute and had nine players score as the Hawks topped La Salle, 79-55, Friday afternoon in the Opening Round of the 2011 Atlantic 10 Tournament at The Tsongas Center. The Hawks advance to face top-seeded #6 Xavier at noon on Saturday.

Holding the Explorers to just 35.7 percent from the floor (20-of-56), Saint Joseph's quickly took control of the game. After giving up the game's first basket, the Hawks scored 10-straight points to open a 10-2 edge on a three-pointer by junior guard Katie Kuester (Media, Pa./Academy of Notre Dame de Namur) at the 15:44 mark. Saint Joseph's would push lead to15-4 and gradually added to it over the final 13 minutes of the opening stanza, taking a 39-22 edge into the second half.

Saint Joseph's (19-10) converted 54.2 percent of its shots (13-of-24) and knocked down seven of its game-high nine three-point field goals in the first 20 minutes, with Kuester, freshman guard Erin Shields (Drexel Hill, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) and sophomore guard Shelby Smith (Ames, Iowa/Waterloo West) each hitting a pair of three-pointers. At the other end, La Salle hit just 6-of-20 shots from the field.

Both teams exchanged baskets over the opening 10 minutes of the second half, but the Hawks were able to push their lead to 20, 61-41, on a jumper by junior Samira Van Grinsven (Helmond, Netherlands/Casper College) at 9:32.  The Explorers answered back with a bucket, but Saint Joseph's scored the next seven points and would never allow La Salle to get any closer than 22 points from there. 

For the game, Saint Joseph's shot 52.9 percent from the floor (27-of-51) and behind the arc (9-of-27), while hitting 16-of-23 from the foul line (52.9 percent). The Hawks also won the battle on the boards, 38-32, and handed out 18 assists.

Individually, Shields finished with a team-high 16 points, including a game-high four three pointers, to go with three rebounds, three assists, a steal and a blocked shot. Kuester added 13 points, while junior forward Kelly Cavallo (Hampton Bays, N.Y./Westhampton Beach) finished with a game-high seven rebounds to go with 11 points. Smith added a season-best nine points off the bench, with junior guard Michelle Baker (Wilmington, Del./Brandywine) finished with eight points. Sophomore guard Ashley Prim (Ansonia, Conn./Kolbe Cathedral), named Atlantic 10 Sixth Player of the Year, had a game-high four assists to go with seven points off the bench.

Van Grinsven and freshman forward Ilze Gotfrida (Dobele, Latvia/Rigas Secondary School No. 49) each finished with six points, while senior forward Dominique Bryant (Bowie, Md./St. John's College High School) rounded out the scoring with three point. Sophomore Mireia Vila (Cabrera De Mar, Spain/Escola De Santa Anna) chipped in with three rebounds, an assists and a steal, while freshman Kasie Parker (Oviedo, Fla./Lake Howell) added a rebound and assist.

At the other end, La Salle was limited to just 1-of-8 from behind the arc and 20-of-56 for the game (35.7 percent). Nadia Duncan scored a game-high 20 points for the Explorers, while leading scorer Ashley Gale was held well below her 18.2 points per game average, finishing with just three points.