At the end of the first half of the Lady Lions' game against St. Joseph's last night, Hawks center Dale Hodges walked off the court with a rare feeling seldom encountered in her three years of college basketball.

The Atlantic 10's leading scorer (26.25 points per game) entered the lockerroom with only nine points, hitting just three of 10 shots. The 6-1 center was constantly denied the ball inside and when she managed to get free, she was surrounded by Lady Lion double-teams.

But after the intermission, the All-America candidate exploded for 16 points and nailed two free throws with one second remaining which gave her a game-high 25 points and insured a 66-62 victory. Hodges also hauled in nine offensive rebounds and led both teams in total rebounds with sixteen, a stat which doomed the Lady Lions.

"I think rebounding was a big edge," Coach Rene Portland said. "We had outrebounded them (in the first game), but I think the offensive rebounds on their part, especially down the stretch with Hodges was really the key."

"We really choked down on Hodges in the first half," Portland continued. "But the big difference was that we allowed Hodges to get her own rebound and put in her own rebound."

With the Lady Lions' defense packed in the paint to take away Hodges' inside game, the Hawks were able to nail 15 shots from the outside and despite Hodges' limited point production, St. Joe's led 36-27 at intermission.

The Lady Lions swarmed Hodges every time the she got the ball in the paint. While Penn State center Adrie DeVries fronted Hodges, guards Dana Eikenberg and Tanya Garner collapsed whenever the ball was dumped inside.

"We did a great job defensively with her," Portland said. "I think Adrie (DeVries) did a fine job with her and I think the kids were well aware of where she was. I think her and (Kim) Foley were really frustrated in the first half and they sure did their share of complaining with that frustration."

But Hodges relieved her scoring drought in the second half by shooting 60 percent from the field, banging in six from the field in her 16-point surge.

"They were extremely patient and they knew who their money players were and they just went to their money players," Portland said.

And St. Joe's went to the bank with Hodges.

The Hawks started to nail the outside shot early in the second half, forcing the Lady Lion defense to move to the perimeter to get a hand in the shooter's face.

But the game plan worked too well. St. Joe's went a sorry 33 percent from the perimeter, drawing a blank 28 times. As a result of the Hawks' miscues, Hodges repeatedly came up with the ball under her own net and was given the opportunity to make amends for her first half performance.

"Great players are supposed to do great things," St. Joe's Coach Jim Foster said. "I think that Dale is a great player. I expect her to step forward and want the ball in a pressure situations and she does just that."