Big 5 roundup: St. Joe’s women win Hawk Classic; La Salle men match program record
In other games, the Drexel women and Temple men and women lost.
The St. Joseph’s women pulled away from Alabama-Birmingham late in the fourth quarter Thursday to secure a 63-57 home win over the Blazers (9-3) in the championship game of the Hawk Classic.
Graduate guard Chloe Welch led the Hawks (11-1) with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore forward Laura Ziegler scored 20. Junior forward Talya Brugler contributed 15 points and dished out six assists.
Next, the Hawks will head to Fordham (5-6) to begin Atlantic 10 action on Dec. 30 (4 p.m., ESPN+).
» READ MORE: Villanova returns to winning ways at the expense of La Salle, but it wasn’t all bad for the Explorers
La Salle men destroy Rosemont
La Salle (9-3) rebounded from its 84-77 loss to No. 24 Miami last week with a bit of an easier opponent, hosting Division III Rosemont College. The Explorers routed the Ravens, 107-41.
Every single Explorer scored at least three points against Rosemont (2-9), with five scoring in double digits: Ryan Zan (19), Rokas Jocuis (15), Daeshon Shepherd (12), Jhamir Brickus (10), and Andres Marrero (10). The Explorers’ 35 assists matched a program record.
It marked a career-high outing for Zan, a redshirt sophomore from Princeton. The forward also grabbed seven rebounds coming off the bench.
La Salle will host Howard (4-9) on Dec. 30 (2 p.m., ESPN+) for a final tune-up before Atlantic 10 Conference play starts in the new year.
» READ MORE: What shaped La Salle guard Khalil Brantley’s confidence in big moments? Fran Dunphy and Rucker Park.
Drexel women lose on the road
Drexel’s losing streak grew to three with a 69-59 loss to Cleveland State at the Homewood Suites Classic in Fort Myers, Fla.
The Dragons (4-6) fell behind the Vikings (11-1) early, leaving the floor at the half with a 10-point deficit. Graduate guard Brooke Mullin scored 20 points, but it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback. Drexel also lost the rebound battle, 40-30.
After a short break, the Dragons return home to host Division III opponent Arcadia (9-0) on Dec. 29 (2 p.m., FloHoops).
» READ MORE: Villanova just captured a significant overtime road win against No. 12 Creighton. Here’s how.
Temple women fall to Northwestern
A hot shooting performance by Northwestern lifted the Wildcats past Temple, 72-68, at the Liacouras Center. The Wildcats (5-7) shot 55.1% from the floor, while the Owls (6-6) connected on 30.9% of their shots.
The Owls squandered a four-point lead coming out for the second half. Northwestern guard Melannie Daley led all players with 21 points. Junior guard Tiarra East had 20 points for the Owls, adding seven rebounds and four steals. Rayne Tucker (19) and Aleah Nelson (16) also scored in the double digits for Temple.
Temple next hosts Texas-San Antonio (6-5) on Dec. 30 (1 p.m., ESPN+).
» READ MORE: Camden’s Billy Richmond commits to Kentucky, following DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw
Temple men lose in Hawaii
Temple lost to Nevada, 80-56, in the quarterfinals of the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. The Owls (6-5) pulled within four in the second half, but a 10-0 run by the Wolf Pack (10-1) gave Nevada a comfortable lead for the rest of the game.
The Wolf Pack shot 47.5% from the field, with senior guard Jarod Lucas leading all players with 22 points. For the Owls, junior guard Hysier Miller scored 18 points and grabbed five boards. Guard Jahlil White tallied 13 points while Steve Settle III chipped in 11.
Temple will take on Texas Christian (8-1) or Old Dominion (3-6) in the second game of the tournament on Friday (7:30 p.m., ESPN+).