LAWRENCE, KS (12/2/00) - Susan Moran matched a career-high with 30-points to earn Most Valuable Player honors and Angela Zampella handed out 14 assists to lead St. Joseph's (3-3) to the KU Credit Union Jayhawk Classic title with a 70-67 win over the host Kansas(5-2). Moran was critical down the stretch connecting on eight straight free throws to keep the Jayhawks at bay. Reflecting on the thrilling win after the contest, Hawk head coach Stephanie V. Gaitley commented, "I just think that this is the way this season is going to go. We're going to be 'Cardiac Kids.' We're going to blend experience and youth and what you are going to come up with is Hawk combustion, I guess." The Crimson and Gray led the game by 11 points early in the second half, but the host, slowly whittled the lead down, before tying the contest midway through the period, 52-52. Down the stretch, Moran and Zampella kept the fledgling Hawks calm, cool and collected, while the tandem of freshmen Irina Krasnoshiok and Amra Mehmedic stepped up and hit big shots and made veteran plays. Both finished in double figures, as Krasnoshiok tallied 17 and Mehmedic added 13. At the final buzzer, as the team exploded in jubilation, it was clear that the Hawks had played their most complete game of the season. They received big shots and critical free throws when necessary, while turning the ball over a season low eight times. And as always, the team was keyed by its trademark defense. Zampella was particularly brilliant, orchestrating the SJU offense with precision, and flashing the wares that make her a candidate for the Nancy Lieberman-Cline Award given annually to the nation's top point guard. Talking about the Hawks defense Zampella said, "When you have four freshmen playing significant minutes it is going to be hard to get every thing to click, but I think that it is starting to come around. I think that our defense played really well this weekend and it gives us a lot of confidence for the rest of the season." In the first half, the Hawks fell behind by eight points, 16-8, but then used an 8-0 spurt to tie the game at 16. Moran netted a pair of buckets, as well as a free throw, during the run. Krasnoshiok also chipped in with the first of her game-high five three-pointers. The Hawks gained their first lead of the contest minutes later, 25-23, when Moran connected on a turn-around jumper in the lane off of a pass from Zampella. It was a lead SJU would never relinquish. From that point, SJU extended its lead to as many as seven points, 34-27, before going into the locker room at intermission with a 34-31 advantage. For Moran, it was her second 30-point outburst of the season. She is the first Hawk to have two games of 30 point games in the same season since Melissa Coursey in 1997-98. Moran and Zampella were joined on the all-Tournament team by Pam O'Connor of Eastern Illinois, Kim Prince from Minnesota and Brooke Reves and Jaclyn Johnson from host Kansas. The tournament championship was the Hawks' fourth in-season title since 1996-97. It also gives SJU a bit of revenge as Kansas came into Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse four years ago to win the 1996 Hawk Classic, defeating SJU, 65-60, in the title game. Looking toward the future, Zampella feels that the Hawks will grow from this weekend's success. "I think that the close games that we played early on are going to help us. In the long run, I think this is going to be a great experience for us. " The week ahead will be a busy one for the Crimson and Gray, who will host a pair of key games against teams that qualified for post-season tournaments, last year. On Wednesday, nationally-ranked Virginia invades the Fieldhouse looking to avenge last season's loss to the Hawks in Charlottesville. Then on Saturday, SJU will play host to a Big Five doubleheader. Temple and Penn will tip-off at noon to open the twin-bill, while the Hawks and Villanova will meet in the annual "Holy War" at 2:00 p.m. The doubleheader will be televised locally on Comcast SportsNet.