Nov. 14, 2008

Box Score

VILLANOVA, PA - Junior Jamie Walsh scored a game-high 19 points and dished out a career-high seven assists to help lead La Salle Women's Basketball to a 67-62 overtime victory at Villanova in the season opener for both teams. Her two made free throws with 28 seconds left in the extra session sealed the win for the Explorers.

This was La Salle's second straight victory at Villanova - winning two years ago 74-62 - but the Explorers are just 4-12 all-time at Villanova and 9-29 against the Wildcats overall.

Trailing for only 24 seconds in the game, the Explorers built their largest advantage of the game to 12 points early in the second half, but the Wildcats slowly chipped away at their deficit, getting it to three on a Laura Kurz jumper with 5:31 left in regulation. She finished the game with a double-double - 14 points, 11 rebounds.

La Salle looked to stave off the run when Walsh hit a three and Margaret Elderton scored on a lay-up to push its lead back to eight, 55-47, with just over four minutes left.

However, Villanova closed out the half on a 13-5 run, scoring on six of its last seven possessions including a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line. Maria Getty's two free throws - two of her team-high 15 points - with 27 seconds left pulled the Wildcats even at 60-60 and La Salle could not break the tie before the extra session.

In overtime, the Explorers took a three-point lead thanks to a made free throw by Ashley Gale and a pair by Elderton with 3:25 left. 

Lisa Karcic would convert her own foul shots with 1:16 remaining to pull Villanova within one, but Elderton scored on a driving lay-up on the Explorers next possession to make it a three-point game again with 50 ticks left.

La Salle, which held the Wildcats to 0-for-8 from the field in the overtime period, forced a Getty three-point miss and Elderton got the rebound and Walsh was fouled with 28 seconds left.

Walsh led four Explorers in double figures, as Elderton and Gale each had 14 and Tara Lapetina chipped in 10 points off the bench, knocking down a pair of threes and going 4-for-4 from the foul line in her return to the court after missing the last 25 games of last year. Antonia Gale who missed the entire 2007-08 season, scored four points and grabbed five boards in her return.

Danielle Mickiewicz in her first collegiate start scored four points and pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds, while Ashley Gale added five rebounds, two blocks, and two steals to her totals.

La Salle (1-0, 1-0 Big 5) returns to the court for its home opener - the start of a three-game homestand - hosting Long Island on Sunday afternoon at 1 PM.

Additional Notes:
* La Salle is now 32-5 all-time in season-opening games, and when they have opened up on the road, the Explorers are 18-2.
* In the 38 meetings between Villanova and La Salle, the Explorers have now scored at least 65 points just nine times. La Salle's record in those games is 7-2 including five straight. The last time they scored at least 65 and lost - February 23, 1980 - an 80-68 loss at home.
* In the three prior seasons that La Salle earned a victory at Villanova, the Explorers finished at least eight games above .500 - 1975-76, finished 13-5; 1988-89, 28-3; 2006-07, 19-11.
* During the 2007-08 season, La Salle was 5-0 when at least four people reached double figures.
* The Explorers are now 3-0 in overtime games since dropping a 66-64 OT decision to Temple on January 8, 2006. This is their first OT win on the road since January 30, 1997 at Fordham (73-58).