STATE COLLEGE, PA (12/10/02) - A 10-0 run by #11/12 Penn State to open the second half gave the Lady Lions all of the breathing room they needed to defeat Saint Joseph's 82-56 at the Bryce Jordan Center. Junior Stephanie Graff led the Hawks with 18 points and seven rebounds. SJU dropped to 2-4 overall on the season, while PSU improved to 7-1. SJU controlled the tempo throughout much of the first half, leading most of the period. PSU, however, outscored the Crimson and Gray 16-6 over the last 7:27 and led at intermission, 36-31. Graff had 11 for the Hawks in the opening 20 minutes, while the Lions Mazzante added 16. SJU had few answers for Penn State's Kelly Mazzante and Tanisha Wright. Mazzante, the nation's leading scorer, tallied 30 points, while Wright added 23. Penn State's 10-0 spurt turned a five-point lead into a 15-point margin. SJU could get no closer than 11 points the rest of the way, while the Lions slowly pulled away for the win. Both teams shot reasonably well from the field with SJU shooting 43.8% from the floor and the Lions hitting at a 46.0% clip. The biggest difference in the game may have come at the free throw line, where PSU hit 23-34 from the stripe. SJU, meanwhile was just 10-16. Besides Graff, junior Erin Brady added 10 points and eight assists. The Hawks returned to Philadelphia immediately following the game after playing three games five days on the road. SJU next takes to the floor on Sunday, December 15 at Drexel's Daskalakis Center at 1:00 PM.