St. Joseph’s claims Big 5 title behind a ‘different team’ that’s ready to lead in the A-10

St. Joseph’s entered its matchup Monday with a Big 5 title in sight. All that stood between the Hawks and a championship was a game against their neighboring Atlantic 10 foe La Salle.

Head coach Cindy Griffin said the Hawks were waiting for “what seemed like forever” for that game and a chance to clinch the title, a goal they set at the start of the season.

And with a 64-39 victory, St. Joe’s went 5-0 in the Big 5 and capped its first undefeated Big 5 run since the 2013-14 season.

“Our players were very focused on finishing it with beating La Salle the way we did,” Griffin said.

“You’re competing against some really fantastic players, both young and old, and you’re also playing against a team that you’re familiar with. The biggest challenge is you have to bring your A-game. Doesn’t matter what your record is. You’ve got to bring it and that prepared us for the Atlantic 10.”

The title also gave the Hawks a conference win.

St. Joe’s is off to a 5-1 start in conference play (16-2 overall). The team has leaned on players like graduate student Chloe Welch and junior Talya Brugler, each of whom has helped relate her knowledge of the A-10 to the team.

“There’s a degree of confidence that we know that in certain situations we’re the better team,” Griffin said. “We’re going to pull together, and we’re going to make plays for each other.

“We know that we have very efficient scorers, that when they get the ball, we’re going to put them in the best possible situation so that they can be successful, and the success rate has been high,” Griffin said. “You can look at our field-goal percentage and our free-throw percentage and getting to the foul line just finding different ways to score. We have that punch from the majority of the kids on our team.”

» READ MORE: A reeling St. Joe’s falls to 0-3 in Atlantic 10. Can Billy Lange turn it around?

In 18 games, the Hawks are shooting 45.1% from the field and 80.2% from the line. They’re also a top-25 defense in the NCAA, holding their opponents to an average of 54.9 points, and are 8-0 on the road — which should come in handy as they head to Rhode Island for another A-10 test on Sunday (noon, ESPNU).

But Griffin said the biggest factor in the team’s success has been prioritizing consistency in its approach, specifically on the road.

“We’ve been consistent with our pregame routine, whether that’s watching film, doing a walk-through, or getting shots up,” Griffin said. “That gives our team a lot of confidence and consistency, and knowing that [if] you can win on the road, that’s a confidence booster and just goes back with being consistent.”

After losing to Rhode Island in double overtime and again on buzzer-beater last season, the Hawks are ready to prove themselves Sunday.

“We’re much better than we were last year,” Griffin said. “We’ve grown; we’ve matured. I think the addition of Chloe Welch in our backcourt has definitely helped us from a scoring standpoint and a defensive standpoint. I just think we’re a different team. We have something to prove, and I know our team will be ready to get up there and compete and to prove how much growth we’ve had over the last year.”

St. Joe’s also looks to improve its overall record, the program’s best start in Griffin’s 23 seasons on the sideline, which she described as “surreal.”

“I want it to slow down a little bit, so we can enjoy,” she said. “But it’s happening very fast, and I’m just really happy for the players and my coaching staff because we’ve had some tough years. ... I’m really happy for these players to see that their hard work and their growth has paid off.”