St. Joe’s downs California in the WBIT to set up a quarterfinal with Villanova

The St. Joseph’s women’s team had rattled off 27 wins this season, but the Hawks faced a new challenge Sunday, taking on California of the Pac-12 in the second round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament in Berkeley, Calif.

It was the first meeting in the programs’ histories, and the Hawks came out on top, 63-61, to send them to the quarterfinals against a quite familiar foe, Villanova, on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Chloe Welch and Laura Ziegler scored 19 points apiece to lead the Hawks (28-5). Marta Suárez scored 20 points to pace the Bears (19-15).

St. Joe’s went on a 15-3 run in the second quarter to take a 35-29 lead at the break. The driving force behind the Hawks’ commanding half: Welch’s 16 points.

Welch wasn’t the only Hawk putting up big numbers. Talya Brugler (11 points) and Mackenzie Smith (10) also finished in double figures for the Hawks.

In the second half, Suárez led the Golden Bears on a 9-0 run to make it a one-point game with less than a minute to go.

Welch went 3-for-4 at the foul line down the stretch, with a couple of clutch free throws that allowed the Hawks to hang onto their lead, thanks to a blocked shot from Smith.

While California went 7-for-31 from beyond the arc, compared to the Hawks’ 5-for-15, St. Joe’s found its advantage inside, putting up 40 points in the paint compared to the Bears’ 24.

Now the Hawks will gear up to face Villanova for the second time this season after beating the Wildcats, 73-67, on Dec. 9. Their previous win came at home, but they’ll head to Finneran Pavilion for the quarterfinal matchup.