LAWRENCE, KS (12/1/00) - Senior Angela Zampella connected on a driving layup with just 0.6 second to play in regulation to lift St. Joseph's (2-3) to a 64-42 victory over Minnesota (3-2) in the semifinals of the KU Credit Union Jayhawk Classic. The victory lifts the Hawks into the title game where they will face tournament host and Big 12 power Kansas, a 74-56 winner over Eastern Illinois in the other first round game. On the final bucket, SJU cleared out and gave Zampella the opportunity to penetrate. She drove down the right side of the lane and tossed up a shot as she headed for the goal. The ball bounced once, high off the rim, before settling through the twine to give SJU the lead. The Gophers were only able to get off a desperation three-point heave from mid-court as time expired. Zampella finished with a game-high 23 points and five assists. Not to be overlooked was a key blocked shot by freshman Irina Krasnoshiok. She stepped up and stuffed a Gopher shot with under 15 seconds to play, which allowed the Hawks the final possession. Talking about the win, Zampella said, "I think this win is definitely going to help us in the long run. We have a lot of young players (four freshmen) who play significant minutes. We've had a couple of close games that we haven't been able to pull out, so to pull out a close game against a great Minnesota team is going to help us." In the second half, the Hawk pushed out to a 12-point lead with 14:16 remaining, but Minnesota battled back to make it interesting at the end. An 18-5 spurt midway through the period erased the deficit and put UM back in front with 8:00 left in the game. Minnesota went up by five points at 5:17, but consecutive "threes" by Zampella and Krasnoshiok tied the game at 54. From that point, similar to the St. John's game, the contest bounced back and forth down the stretch, as the lead changed hands five times and was tied on four occasions. When Susan Moran (15 points, 9 boards) fouled out of the game with 2:19 left, SJU was forced to rally around its "Kiddie Corps," as Zampella directed the show. In the final minute freshman Elizabeth "Hootie" Mohan split a pair of free throws to tie the game. Ironically, it was at the line that UM hurt itself most, making just 7-of-23 from the stripe. Hawk coach Stephanie V. Gaitley felt that her team's ability to come together was critical to the outcome, "The key to that win was our kids coming together. It's a coming of age team. With Sue Moran going to the bench we are not used to playing without her on the court. It was a big victory for us to learn that we can win with her not out there." St. Joseph's struggled to find its range in the game's early going, allowing the Gophers to build up a 10-point advantage, 16-6. Kim Prince was critical for Minnesota, tallying seven straight points for the UM during one stretch. Midway through the period, however, SJU discovered its stroke. Keyed by their trademark defense and a balanced attack, the Hawks set off on an 18-6 run that pushed them into the lead. Four different players scored during the spurt, which witnessed SJU turn a 16-6 deficit into a 24-20 lead. Zampella put the Cityliners in front for the first time, when she connected on a pair of free throws with 5:11 remaining in the half. The Hawks went into the break with a 29-22 lead. It will be a quick turnaround for the Crimson and Gray, who will take to the court at 4:00 pm, in the championship game of the KU Credit Union Classic. The Hawks will face the host Jayhawks in that game. Next week, SJU returns to the Fieldhouse to host #17 Virginia on Wedneday, before meeting Big Five rival Villanova on December 9.