Hawks struggle to capitalize on offense
The St. Joe’s women’s basketball team fell victim to conference opponent Saint Louis University in a 96-73 loss on Jan. 21. This loss snaps their two game inner conference winning streak previously set with wins against University of Richmond and University of Massachusetts.
Leading up to this game, two St. Joe’s players were honored for their respective accomplishments on and off the court.
Senior guard Avery Marz was named Most Courageous Athlete at the 114th Annual PSWA Banquet for her miraculous recovery from a stroke while senior forward Chelsea Woods was named the Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Co-Player of the Week after averaging 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 5.5 assists over a two game period.
“We had a lot of confidence headed into this game,” said fifth year senior forward Amanda Fioravanti. “One of our leading scorers was out for the game. Players knew they had to step up.”
The Hawks got off to a rough start in the first half. They were unable to match Saint Louis’ aggressive offense. Saint Louis racked up a twelve point lead with three minutes to play.
However, in the waning minutes of the first half, St. Joe’s was able to fight back and bring it to within four. Senior forward Adashia Franklyn scored a layup with 57 seconds to play and kept the Hawks within arms reach.
“A big thing was finishing plays,” Marz said. “We were getting the opportunities but weren’t able to finish. Coach emphasized finishing and getting points.”
Saint Louis was dominant throughout the entire second half. A 19-6 run combined with 50.7 percent shooting from the field put the Billikens in firm control. The Hawks remained no closer than 14 points for the remainder of the second half. Saint Louis closed with a twenty-three point margin victory 96-73.
“They were a great team and we needed to play great as well,” Marz said. “We didn’t come ready to play showed as the second half progressed. Our defense wasn’t there as a team.”
Fioravanti finished 7-15 with a game high eighteen points, Franlyn finished 5-11 with thirteen points, and Junior guard Kristalyn Baisden finished 6-13 with ten points.
With this loss, St. Joe’s moves to 4-2 (tied for fourth) in the A-10 and 9-9 overall. They come back to Hagan Arena on Jan. 24 to host Duquesne University at 7 P.M.
