WASHINGTON, DC (01/20/02) - Junior Colleen McGahan (15 points) and senior Jane Meade (12 points) each scored season-highs, but George Washington (11-6, 6-0 A-10) came alive in the second half to snap Saint Joseph's (14-3, 5-1 A-10) eleven game winning streak, 68-62 at the Smith Center. The Colonials used a strong defensive effort that held Hawk starters Susan Moran, Amra Mehmedic and Amy Snell to 14 combined points, the trio had averaged better than 40.0 points per game through SJU's first 16 games. "The game plan for us was to keep the game in the high 50s or low 60s. We felt as if we did that we would come away with a win," stated Hawk Head Coach Cindy Anderson-Griffin after the contest. "[Cathy] Joens went off in the second half and [Ugo] Oha went off for them in the second half and we weren't able to counter as quickly." The contest's outcome served as a disappointing finish to a game that witnissed Moran become just the second player in SJU history to score 2,000 career points. Moran, the second leading scorer in Division I, finished with her ninth double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds), but shot just 5-19 from the field. "I didn't have a good day today," assessed Moran. " But we have to look at the positives. This game doesn't make our season...You look at some one like Stephanie Graff and she played amazing. That is great for us, because I am not going to have a great day everyday and right now if we can get people like Steph producing and Colleen [McGahan] hitting threes, you have to take something positive away from that. I would have liked to help the team a little bit more, but I felt like my teammates stepped up and did a great job." Moran's 2,000th point came at a critical juncture in the contest and appeared as if it may be the turning point in the game. Moran sank a free throw to complete a three-point play for SJU with 6:38 remaining and knotted the game at 48-48. The free throw had brought the Hawks back from a 10-point second half deficit. The game would remain tied at 50 after Moran and Oha traded buckets, but G.W. was able to push the lead back out thanks to some clutch perimeter shooting from Joens and Lindsey Davidson. Joens and Davidson sandwiched a pair of threes around a put-back by the Hawks' Irina Krasnoshiok. The hoops put the Buff and Blue up by four and they were able to hold off SJU down the stretch for the win. G.W. had led the game briefly in the first half before the Hawks took control. Moran scored six-points during a 9-0 Hawk run that broke a 19-19 tie midway through the period. The Colonials, however, countered with a 10-2 run of their own to end the half. Senior Elena Vishniakova scored six of her 10 points during that stretch for G.W., but left the game early in the second half with a severe knee injury. The Hawks clung to a slim 30-29 advantage at the break. Particularly effective before intermission was Graff. The sophomore forward scored 10 of her 14 points before the break and more importantly put a physical body on Oha in the post. In the second half, G.W. managed to get Graff in foul trouble that forced her to the bench. In her absence, Oha found space and reciprocated by netting 10 of her 14 in the second half. In addition to Moran and Graff, McGahan and Meade both had excellent games for the Hawks. McGahan connected on 5-9 three-point attempts and gave SJU a lift when it needed one. Meade, meanwhile kept the Hawks close with an assortment of short and mid-range jumpers. Conversely, Mehmedic was a non-factor. The Zenica, Bosnia native attempted only one sht and turned the ball over twice in 11 minutes of play. The defeat was the fourth in a row to the Colonials by SJU, as well as the fourth straight loss at the Smith Center. The Hawks have won in Washington just once since 1993 with that victory coming in the 1997 A-10 title game. The loss was the first by SJU this season in which it led at halftime. The Hawks will return home this week as classes resume, but conclude a three-game road trip on Thursday at Rhode Island. SJU then returns home for critical A-10 East showdown with Temple at the Fieldhouse. The winner will likely maintian sole possession of first place in the East. That game will be televised on CN-8.