Both the St. Joe’s men’s team and women’s team earned a bid to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), respectively. After the men’s team made a first-round exit in the NIT and the women’s team lost in the quarter-finals of the WBIT following a historic season, both teams are expected to come back big this year. With basketball season right around the corner, here are five must-watch games for both the women’s and men’s teams.
Women’s Top Five Games:
Utah (Friday, Nov. 22, 9 p.m.)
The Utes and the Hawks met for the first time last season when St. Joe’s received its first loss after an 8-0 start. While St. Joe’s trailed from tip-off and Utah pulled away in the fourth quarter to secure the 74-48 win, the Hawks hung in for a little against their nationally ranked opponent. The Utes’ season ended after a second-round exit in the NCAA tournament last year. If the Hawks hope to find themselves in the tournament this season, they’ll have to prove themselves against opponents like Utah. Fans will have to tune in to see how they fare.
Villanova (Sunday, Dec. 1, 2 p.m.)
After a seven-game losing streak against Villanova, St. Joe’s defeated the Wildcats 73-67 in the regular season. This win secured them at least a share of the Big 5 title. When the two teams met again in the quarter-finals of the WBIT, it was Villanova who came out on top. This season, the game between the two schools will mean more than just the Wildcats defending their win or the Hawks finding redemption. Now that the women’s Big 5 has adopted the same pod format the men’s team implemented last year, this game will affect standings for the Women’s Big 5 Classic Dec. 6 at Finneran Pavilion.
VCU (Sunday, Dec. 29, 2 p.m.)
The Hawks open their conference slate at home when they host A-10 foe VCU for a redemption game. St. Joe’s saw their 11-game win streak snapped at the hands of the Rams last season in what was only their second conference loss at the time. When the two teams met last season, VCU had the second-scoring defense in the country, while St. Joe’s had the third. This win for VCU also gave them the tiebreaker at the end of the season to secure them the two seed going into the A-10 tournament over the three seed St. Joe’s.
George Mason (Thursday, Jan. 2, 12 p.m.)
Following VCU, St. Joe’s will be hosting George Mason for what’s sure to be a high-intensity game as the Hawks face off with another team that was one of the top in the A-10 last year. Last season, the Hawks came out victorious in a battle against the Patriots for the top of the A-10. While St. Joe’s entered the game undefeated on the road, George Mason was undefeated at home. Both were on an eight-game winning streak. If this season’s game comes anywhere close to the energy and excitement of that one, it’s certain to be a can’t-miss game.
Richmond (Thursday, Feb. 13, 8 p.m.)
The Hawks will be heading down to Virginia to face the reigning A-10 Champions for one of their last few games in conference play before welcoming them to Hagan Arena two weeks later for their final game of the regular season. While history is in favor of the Hawks when these two teams play, the last two games between Richmond and St. Joe’s have gone in favor of the Spiders. These two teams that sat among the top of the A-10 for much of last season are sure to put on a show when they see each other this year.
