Dec. 8, 2007

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - Freshman Ashley Gale scored a game-high 27 points, but the La Salle University Women's Basketball team dropped a heartbreaker to Quinnipiac on Saturday afternoon, 65-64. Jamie Walsh and Morgan Robertson each had nine points, as the Explorers fell to 3-5 on the year.

The injury-plagued Explorers dressed only eight players for the game and were without the services of leading scorer Carlene Hightower. Though they were spread thin, the Blue and Gold were able to take a commanding lead early in the first half.

Gale came off the bench to spark an 11-2 run, giving La Salle a 10-point lead midway through the opening frame. The freshman led the charge with seven points over a two-minute span.

Unfortunately for La Salle, the lead was gone in the blink of an eye, as Quinnipiac rattled off 13 consecutive points to take a 21-18 lead. The Bobcats would control the game for the remainder of the half, taking a 31-29 lead into the locker room.

It was more of the same early in the second half, as the Bobcat lead grew to eight points with just over 12 minutes to play. Back-to-back three pointers by Gale and Walsh cut the Explorer deficit to two at the 10:17 mark, the closest the Explorers had been all half.

La Salle hung tough down the stretch and finally took its first lead since the 6:23 mark in the first half, as Gale drained her fifth three-pointer of the afternoon with just under three minutes left. Quinnipiac's Erin Kerner quickly responded with a three of her own, and then followed with a jumper to give the Bobcats a four-point cushion with 1:43 to play.

A pair of foul shots from Melanie Gibbons cut the lead in half with just over a minute to play. The Explorers looked to tie or go ahead when Gale grabbed a defensive rebound, but was called for a charge on the other end of the court.

Quinnipiac attempted to run out the clock and escape Tom Gola Arena with a close victory, but things were just about to get interesting.

With less than 20 seconds left and the shot clock winding down, Kerner forced a runner in the lane that hit off the back of the rim, but she was able to grab her own miss. Kerner then found Brianna Rooney at the top of the arc, who was fouled with eight seconds to play.

Rooney missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Robertson was fouled as she grabbed the rebound, setting up a chance for the Explorers to tie the score. She made one of two from the stripe to cut the lead to one. With the game seemingly in hand, Pennewell threw away the inbounds pass, leaving the door open for La Salle.

After a timeout, the Explorers inbounded the ball with four seconds left, but were unable to get off a shot as time ran out on the comeback effort.

Kerner led the Bobcats with 17 points, while Monique Lee had a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards. Mandy Pennewell chipped in with 15 points for Quinnipiac (6-1).

Gibbons contributed with eight points and a team-high eight rebounds, while Walsh had a game-high four steals. Meghan Ahl dished out a team-high six assists.

The 27 points from Gale were the most by a La Salle freshman since Suzi McCaffrey scored 28 in an 80-79 win over Towson on December 1, 1982.

The Explorers return to action next Sunday when they head north to take on Boston College. The game will tip off at 2 PM.