PHILADELPHIA (1/29/04) - #5/6 Penn State shot 58% in the second half to stretch a 12-point halftime lead to as many as 36 in a 80-44 win over Saint Joseph's at a sold-out Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse on Thursday night. The capacity crowd of 3,200 is the first sell-out for a women's game since then #2/2 Tennessee visited Hawk Hill on December 19, 1999. Senior Erin Brady led SJU (11-6) with 14 points. The Nittany Lions (16-3) scored off the opening tip and from that point on it was all PSU. Tanisha Wright fed a streaking Kelly Mazzante for an easy layup before three seconds ticked off the clock. The Hawks did stay close for the first seven minutes, drawing within three, 16-13, on a senior Amra Mehmedic layup at the 13:21 mark of the first. Penn State went on a quick 8-1 run from that point, with Wright (team-high 14 points and eight assists) scoring six during the span. An Elizabeth "Hootie" Mohan three-pointer brought SJU within seven midway through the half, but it was as close as the Crimson and Gray would get all game. A 38-26 PSU led quickly became a 49-28 advantage before the first media timeout of the second half. Penn State rattled off an 11-2 run to officially snuff out any hope of an SJU upset. The Nittany Lions were clicking on both sides of the floor, shooting 58% in the half and holding the Hawks to a chilly 24%. St. Joe's finished shooting 28%, but connected on 5-for-9 (56%) from long range and 7-for-8 (88%) from the charity stripe. Senior Stephanie Graff added eight in defeat. Mazzante, the Big Ten's all-time leading scorer, men or women, added 13 while Jess Strom netted 11. The game was a homecoming for former SJU and current Penn State head coach, Rene Portland, who paced the Fieldhouse sidelines from 1976 to 1978. The Hawks return to Atlantic 10 action on Sunday when they host Richmond at 2 p.m.