DAYTON, OH (02/10/02)- Returning to the same starting lineup that helped Saint Joseph's (17-6, 8-4 A-10) reel off eleven consecutive victories early in the season, SJU raced out to a 16-0 lead and then held off Dayton (10-13, 7-5 A-10) for a 56-48 victory at the Dayton Arena. Sophomore Stephanie Graff had her way in the post and finished with team-highs of 15 points and 14 rebounds, earning her fourth double-double of the season. Coming off back-to-back losses to Temple and Xavier in which the Hawks failed to display their trademark defense, SJU returned to the lineup that has been most effective this season. Featuring Graff, fellow sophomore Amra Mehmedic and seniors Susan Moran, Jane Meade and Amy Snell, the Hawk women put together their best defensive game in nearly three weeks. SJU limited Dayton to just 33.3% shooting from the field, hammered the Flyers on the boards (45-30) and blocked a season-high seven shots. The Crimson and Gray established the tone of the game early, racing out to a 16-0 lead in the contest. Playing tough on the defensive end of the floor turned into fast break opportunities offensively. It took Dayton nearly six minutes to get on the scoreboard. The Hawks spread the ball around in the opening period with five players scoring between four and six points apiece. SJU led at the break by eight points, 29-21. In the second half, Dayton trimmed the Hawk lead down to three points with 15:35 to play. The tandem of Graff and Takeya Trayer, however, helped the Hawks reestablish a double-digit lead. The duo combined to score 14 of the team's 16 points over a nearly ten minute stretch that ended with SJU up 52-42. A 6-0 run by Dayton sliced the lead down to just four points (52-48) with :37 seconds left in regulation. Four straight free throws by Amy Snell down the stretch iced the contest and provided the final margin of victory. Besides Graff, six other Hawks scored between six and eight points. Moran, limited to just 19 minutes due to foul trouble, finished with eight points. She failed to reach double figures for just the second time in the last two years. Snell added six points and a career-best eight caroms, while Trayer was a perfect 3-3 from the floor and scored a career-high seven points. SJU improved to 16-1 when leading at intermission and 14-2 with the starting five of Graff, Meade, Mehmedic, Moran and Snell. After a three-game road swing, the Hawks will return to the friendly confines of Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse for three straight home games. The homestand begins on Friday evening at 7:00 PM against Rhode Island.