Despite disappointing end in the WBIT, St. Joe’s is ready to build off record-breaking season
With several key contributors expected to return next season, the Hawks "want more," standout junior Tayla Brugler said after a 67-59 loss to Villanova in the WBIT quarterfinals.
All good things must come to an end, but the ending came a little sooner than the St. Joseph’s women’s basketball team had hoped for, with a 67-59 loss at Big 5 rival Villanova on Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament.
“We wanted more. We wanted to be part of that [WBIT] Final Four and get the chance for a national championship, but the growth of this team over the course of the year has been phenomenal,” Hawks coach Cindy Griffin said.
“You’re only as good as your last game. We know that. We know that we’ll fuel our offseason and do even better next year,” Griffin said.
The result for the Hawks, who reached the quarterfinals of a postseason tournament for the first time since 2004, marked a less-than-ideal finish to their record-breaking season.
» READ MORE: Villanova holds off Big 5 foe St. Joe’s to clinch spot in WBIT semifinals
Chloe Welch, Talya Brugler, and Mackenzie Smith each reached 1,000th career points. Griffin became the third coach in the Atlantic 10 Conference to reach 200 league wins. St. Joe’s brought home a Big 5 title, won their first road game against a Pac-12 team (California) in the second round of the WBIT, and finished the season 28-6, the most wins in program history.
Villanova (21-12) advances to the WBIT semifinals in Indianapolis, where they will face Penn State on Monday. The Wildcats’ Bella Runyan scored 16 points to tie her career high, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from deep at Finneran Pavilion. The Hawks’ second-leading scorer on the season, Laura Ziegler, made just 1-of-14 shots.
“We left everything out on the floor. And that’s all I can ask for a team that’s 28-6. It’s been a great season for these guys,” Griffin said.
St. Joe’s finished the season 15-2 on the road, not having lost an away game sinceFeb. 21 at Virginia Commonwealth
“I think this team really learned how to win on the road. That’s unbelievable, we just wish that we were 16-1.”
St. Joe’s is already looking ahead to what’s next.
» READ MORE: NCAA men’s basketball transfer portal already loaded and impacting Big 5 schools
“I’d say we’re ready to start the postseason tomorrow. We’re excited to get back right at it,” said Brugler, who scored a game-high 20 points. “We want more, and we have a lot of people returning on our team, so that’ll definitely, like coach said, fuel [to] our fire.
“Knowing what we want, what our goals are as a team, and running through that and accomplishing those goals every day and using that as our motivation for postseason, for summer, preseason, and then when the season starts again next year.”
Four of the Hawks’ starters are juniors Brugler, Smith (13 points), and Julia Nystrom and sophomore Ziegler. Plus, Gabby Casey (11 points) is a freshman.
“She’s a competitor. She’s a gamer,” Griffin said of Casey. “The growth for her over the course of the year, she gave us so much energy and she changes the game when she comes in. We’re expecting great things from her.”
With all signs pointing forward for the Hawks, they’re eager to see what is to come for the program in the 2024-25 season.
“I looked at [assistant coach Katie Kuester] and said, ‘Alright, are we working out tomorrow? What are we doing?’ ” Smith joked. “I’m super proud of this group to be a part of this group.”