Dec. 29, 2012

A-10 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK | STANDINGS | STATISTICS

WHAT’S ON TAP FOR SATURDAY (12/29)

Temple at Michigan State | 12:00PM | BIG TEN Network

Lafayette at Fordham | 1:00PM (Fordham Holiday Classic | Bronx, NY)

St. Peter’s at La Salle | 1:00PM

Northern Iowa at Saint Louis | 3:00PM

Charlotte vs. Toledo | 4:00PM (Georgia State Tournament | Atlanta, GA)

Xavier at Virginia | 7:00PM (UVA Tournament | Charlottesville, VA)

Duquesne at Dartmouth | 7:00PM (Dartmouth Classic | Hanover, NH)

UMBC at Saint Joseph’s | 2:00PM (Hawk Classic | Philadelphia, PA)

A-10 SCOOP
- The Big Ten Network will televise Temple women's basketball's game at Michigan State today, with tip-off set for noon. It is the fourth in a six-game road swing for the Owls (5-5) who face a strong team in the Spartans, currently receiving votes in the AP Poll at 11-1.

- Charlotte will bring its four-game win streak, the longest of the season, into Atlanta this weekend when it competes in the GSU Holiday & Hoops Tournament Saturday and Sunday. The Niners begin tournament play at 4 p.m. today against Toledo and then, depending on outcomes of first-day action, will face either Mississippi Valley State or host Georgia State at 2 or 4 p.m. Sunday.

- Following two straight defeats, Saint Louis (5-7) tries to return to the win column today, against Northern Iowa (4-7). The Billikens and Panthers tip at 2 p.m. UNI is the fourth and final Missouri Valley Conference opponent on the SLU schedule this year.

- The Duquesne women's basketball team (10-1), who received votes in both the AP and Coaches Polls, are putting their program record nine-game winning streak on the line this weekend at the Blue Sky Classic.

- Today marks the 25th matchup between La Salle and Saint Peter's, with the series tied at 12-all. However, this will be the first meeting since 1992 when the two squads were conference-mates in the MAAC. The Peahens won the last meeting 73-71 in the 1992 MAAC Tournament championship game. The Explorers last picked up a win in the series on March 1, 1991, a 79-74 decision.

- Coming off a long lay-off for final exams and the Christmas holiday, the Fordham Rams return to the hardwood today when they take on the Lafayette Leopards in the first game of the Fordham Holiday Classic. The winner of this contest will advance to the championship game of the sixth annual tournament, facing the winner of the Providence/ Colorado State matchup, which will occur about thirty minutes after the conclusion of this game.

FRIDAY’S (12/28) RESULTS
Saint Joseph's 51, Fairfield 38
Saint Joseph’s defeated the Fairfield Stags, 51-38, in the semifinals of the 21st Annual Hawk Classic at Hagan Arena on Friday afternoon. With the win, the Hawks advance to the title game and will face UMBC at 2 p.m. tomorrow for the championship. The Hawks scored 16 points off of turnovers and eight points off of fast breaks while keeping the Stags scoreless in both categories.

Xavier 66, Northern Illinois 54
Xavier posted a 66-54 win over Northern Illinois Friday evening in its first game of the Holiday Inn Cavalier Classic hosted by University of Virginia. With the win, Xavier improves to an even 6-6 on the season and will face host Virginia this evening at 7:00 p.m.

College of Charleston 82, Richmond 74
Despite a career-high 16 points from Ryann Dannelly, the Spiders fell to the College of Charleston, 82-74, Friday night. Richmond went 13-for-30 (43.3%) in the first half, led by Becca Wann's seven points. Amber Nichols followed with six points, contributing nice drives to the basket for her scores. The Spiders resume action Sunday at 2 p.m. at UNC-Wilmington.

Siena 57, Massachusetts 51
Senior center Jasmine Watson produced 15 points and seven rebounds against Siena on Friday evening; however, UMass was unable to overcome a slow start in their 57-51 loss to the Saints. Freshman guard Rashida Timbilla produced a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds while sophomore guard Emily Mital added 14 points, including four three-pointers as the Minutewomen were within one basket of tying the contest during the final 18 seconds.

#8/8 California 70, George Washington 43         
No. 8 California shot 52 percent in the first half and scored 44 points in the paint in a 70-43 win over the George Washington women's basketball team on Friday evening at Haas Pavilion. The Colonials return to action on Sunday, when they visit Saint Mary's at 3 p.m. ET.