SJU Athletics Photos

PISCATAWAY, NJ (12/21/00) ­ A 50-14 second half blitz by #7/7 Rutgers (7-1) turned a six-point advantage at intermission into a rout, as the Knights coasted to a 80-38 victory over St. Joseph's (4-5) at the RAC. The 38-points by the Hawks were the fewest by an SJU team since a 33-point performance against Cheyney State in 1982-83. Current RU head coach Vivian Stringer served as the coach of that team. The lone bright spot for SJU was a 25-point effort by junior Susan Moran. Including last season's 39-point outing against the Knights, the Hawks three lowest scoring games in the last 19 years have come against Stringer coached squads. The defeat was the worst for SJU since a 45-point season opening loss to #1 Tennessee to start the 1998-99 campaign. The second half was a nightmare for the Crimson and Gray. They turned the ball over 17 times and connected on just 4 out of 17 shots from the floor. Even their free throw shooting, usually a sure thing, evaded them during the period (6-10). Offensively, besides Moran, the Hawks had few options and senior Angela Zampella established a new career-high with 12 turnovers. RU, meanwhile, hammered SJU on the boards. They outrebounded the Hawks 22-9 in the second half, 11-2 on the offensive glass. In the first half, the Cityliners came out of the gate slowly against the Knights, connecting on just one field goal in the game's first seven minutes. In fact, SJU would net just five buckets from the floor in the opening stanza. Keeping SJU close was Moran's foul shooting. The junior connected on 11-12 from the stripe before intermission and scored 17 of the Hawks 24 first half points. Following the Christmas holiday, the Hawks will return to the court on December 29 and 30 to host the eleventh annual Pathmark Hawk Classic. The Crimson and Gray will face-off against Central Connecticut State on Friday at 2:00 p.m. The Blue Devils are under the direction of former SJU standout Kim Foley. Seton Hall and Mount St. Mary's will meet on the tournament's other semifinal. On Saturday, the Hawks will play the winner of the game between the Mountaineers and Pirates at 3:00 p.m.