SJU Athletics Photos

PHILADELPHIA (1/12/01) ­ A capacity crowd of 3,200 Philadelphia area youngsters were treated to a 36-point performance by Hawk junior Susan Moran, as St. Joseph's (9-6, 3-1 A-10) defeated Duquesne (8-7, 1-3 A-10), 81-69. The large throng of fans came to Hawk Hill as part of SJU's second annual "Fieldtrip to the Fieldhouse Day" extravaganza. The event was co-sponsored by the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadephia Daily News. "It's great to see the Fieldhouse packed. It is something we all hope for as players to walk into the Fieldhouse and be able to see a full crowd," said Moran. "It doesn't matter what age they are. They did a great job today. It was a great atmosphere her and hopefully some of those kids will be encouraged to come back." The children were treated to lectures about the value of combining "Academics and Athletics" by SJU head coach Stephanie V. Gaitley and Comcast SportsNet's Dei Lynam. They were also able to take part in a basketball skills session presented by former Hawk Academic All-District performer Amy Mallon. "I thought that the whole athletic department was totally committed to the cause, It was another win-win situation for us," stated Gaitley." "They were our sixth-man today. It's a great great environment." In addition to the festivities, the crowd witnessed a thrilling game, as SJU, behind the standout play of Moran and Angela Zampella, held off the Dukes. Moran's 36 points were the fifth-highest single game total in Hawk history, matching Carol Polachek, who also tallied 36 in a 1983 contest against Princeton. Zampella added 21 points and 9 assists. Duquesne, meanwhile, hit a season-high 7 three-pointers and followed the lead of Shiri Sharon, who finished with a career-high 21-points, to rally from a double-digit deficit. An 18-5 run by the Dukes midway through the second half erased a 13-point Hawk lead and knotted the game at 55-55 with 8:32 left in the game. Sharon and Oxana Shetko each connected on a pair of three-point baskets for DU during the spurt. "Good team's find a way to win," said Gaitley. "We could have folded when they tied it up. We didn't. We took their best shot and fought back. We walk away with a win and move on." In spite of the run, the Crimson and Gray maintained their composure down the stretch and turned to the most consistent portion of their game, free throw shooting, to thwart the Dukes. The Hawks knocked down 28-30 free throws in the second half, including an astounding 22 straight to close the game. Moran and Zampella did the bulk of the damage knocking down 8-8 and 10-10 respectively. Overall, SJU made 30 three throws in the contest, one shy of the school single game record. As a team the Hawks lead the nation and are shooting an outstanding 82.7% from the line. If they can maintain their prowess, SJU would establish a new NCAA record. La Salle holds the current NCAA single season mark by hitting 79.8% from the strip in 1988. "I think what is important is that it is something that we work on in practice," commented Moran, who is shooting 85% for the season. "I think some teams take free throws lightly, we don't. We know to keep our heads…to keep our composure in those situations." Sparked by the energy pulsing from the stands, the Hawks built up an 18-point first half lead. Moran had 12-points before intermission and Amra Mehmedic added nine points. A late spurt by the Dukes trimmed the halftime advantage to 31-23. St. Joseph's returns to the floor on Monday evening in a Martin Luther King Day match-up at St. Bonaventure. Newxt weekend, the Hawks will play host to Dayton on Friday and Xavier on Sunday.