<ARTICLE>                                            9
<LEGEND>
     THIS SCHEDULE  CONTAINS SUMMARY  FINANCIAL  INFORMATION  EXTRACTED FROM THE
     CONSOLIDATED  STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL  CONDITION  FOR THE PERIOD ENDED MARCH
     31, 1998 AND THE CONSOLIDATED  STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED
     MARCH 31,  1998,  AND IS  QUALIFIED  IN ITS  ENTIRETY BY  REFERENCE TO SUCH
     FINANCIAL  STATEMENTS  FILED WITH FORM 10-Q FOR THE PERIOD  ENDED MARCH 31,
     1998.
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER>                                   1,000
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              SEP-30-1998
<PERIOD-START>                                 OCT-01-1997
<PERIOD-END>                                   MAR-31-1998
<CASH>                                         29,170
<INT-BEARING-DEPOSITS>                         144,477
<FED-FUNDS-SOLD>                               0
<TRADING-ASSETS>                               0
<INVESTMENTS-HELD-FOR-SALE>                    313,093
<INVESTMENTS-CARRYING>                         201,083
<INVESTMENTS-MARKET>                           204,063
<LOANS>                                        1,040,356
<ALLOWANCE>                                    6,332
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 1,791,370
<DEPOSITS>                                     1,281,229
<SHORT-TERM>                                   150,000
<LIABILITIES-OTHER>                            30,156
<LONG-TERM>                                    204,756
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                          0
<PREFERRED>                                    0
<COMMON>                                       55
<OTHER-SE>                                     116,989
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES-AND-EQUITY>                 1,791,370
<INTEREST-LOAN>                                45,973
<INTEREST-INVEST>                              18,606
<INTEREST-OTHER>                               713
<INTEREST-TOTAL>                               65,292
<INTEREST-DEPOSIT>                             30,388
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                             43,382
<INTEREST-INCOME-NET>                          21,910
<LOAN-LOSSES>                                  3,851
<SECURITIES-GAINS>                             1,688
<EXPENSE-OTHER>                                18,766
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                7,305
<INCOME-PRE-EXTRAORDINARY>                     7,305
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                0
<CHANGES>                                      0
<NET-INCOME>                                   4,400
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                  0.89
<EPS-DILUTED>                                  0.85
<YIELD-ACTUAL>                                 2.53
<LOANS-NON>                                    7,268
<LOANS-PAST>                                   271
<LOANS-TROUBLED>                               10,772
<LOANS-PROBLEM>                                1,857
<ALLOWANCE-OPEN>                               6,046
<CHARGE-OFFS>                                  3,794
<RECOVERIES>                                   229
<ALLOWANCE-CLOSE>                              6,332
<ALLOWANCE-DOMESTIC>                           6,332
<ALLOWANCE-FOREIGN>                            0
<ALLOWANCE-UNALLOCATED>                        0