Feb. 10, 2008

Box Score

SAINT LOUIS, MO - The La Salle University Women's Basketball team - led by Carlene Hightower's game-high 28 points - ended its five-game losing streak with a 61-42 victory over the Saint Louis Billikens at the Bauman-Eberhardt Center Sunday afternoon in Atlantic 10 action.

Hightower hit 11-of-19 from the floor and hit three three-point baskets, while also grabbing five boards and adding two steals to her totals. Her total pushed her into the top 10 all-time at La Salle in scoring, now with 1,317 points.

Morgan Robertson had 11 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks, while Margaret Edlerton registered a game-high five assists to go with five points, and three boards.

La Salle opened up the game with a 10-0 run over the first three minutes. Robertson started it with a lay-up plus a free throw, and after a Hightower basket, did it again to put the Explorers up eight. Hightower capped the run with another basket, then after the Billikens' first two points, hit a three to put La Salle up 13-2 at the 15:36 mark.

Saint Louis (9-15, 4-5 A-10) responded with five straight points to cut its deficit to six, but again La Salle held them scoreless for more than seven minutes as the Explorers pushed their lead to double figures. In a span of five minutes, neither team made a shot from the field, but La Salle did hit five foul shots, the last by Robertson with 8:09 left before the break making the score 20-7.

The Billikens' Lauren Woods then gave her team a spark, scoring six straight points - on an old-fashion three-point play, then on a three from the top of the key - which pulled them back to within seven.

However, a 10-2 run to close the half - including eight straight points - gave the Explorers a 15-point lead (30-15). The 15 points was the lowest output by the Billikens this season in any half and was the third time this season La Salle has held an opponent below 20 in the first half - all three wins (at Delaware - 13 points; versus Penn - 16).

Out of the locker rooms, the Explorer lead stayed above 14 until five minutes in when Saint Louis scored back-to-back baskets - the second by Woods, her 10th point of the game - to cut the La Salle lead to 12.

Hightower hit a three on the another end, then Jamie Walsh scored on back-to-back fast breaks to push her team's lead to a game-high 19 points at 45-26 with just over 11 minutes left in the contest. After a Saint Louis basket, Melanie Gibbons then scored six straight points as the Explorers opened up a 23-point advantage.

The Explorers held the Billikens to their lowest output of the season and limited their big three to a combined 18 points - they average 41 points combined. Theresa Lisch (season average 17.9 ppg) and Katie Paganelli (12.3) each scored just five points, while Amanda Kemezys (10.9) tallied eight.  

La Salle (10-14, 2-7 A-10) will look to make it two in a row, when they host Fordham, Saturday at 1 PM.