Dec. 19, 2007

Box Score

ORLANDO, FL - The La Salle University Women's Basketball ended its three-game losing streak as four Explorers - led by Jamie Walsh's 20 - reached double figures in a 63-47 victory over UNC Greensboro Wednesday night in non-conference action at the UCF Arena in the first game of the Central Florida Classic.

Walsh scored her career-high 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor, which including knocking down four three-point baskets. Carlene Hightower added 14 points and five assists, while Margaret Elderton chipped in 10. Morgan Robertson registered her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Melanie Gibbons also grabbed a season-high 10 boards

The Explorers responded with a 12-0 run over the next six minutes started by a Danielle Mickiewicz lay-up. In the span, Robertson scored back-to-back baskets - one after an offensive board, the other on a turnaround lay-up - which was followed by a Walsh steal and fast-break lay-up. Walsh ended the run with a transition three pointer, pushing the La Salle lead to 24-18 with 5:31 to go before the break.

UNC Greensboro (1-9) responded with back-to-back three pointers - the key to the game in the first half - sandwiched around an Elderton jumper - to get within a basket. However, La Salle scored the last four points before heading into the locker room, to take a 30-24 halftime lead. In first, the Spartans hit 6-of-12 from behind the arc (2-of-16 from inside of it), while La Salle shot just 1-of-8.

It took Walsh just three shots to double that output, knocking down a pair of threes in the first five minutes in the second half, which had given the Explorers a 10-point lead. Elderton would make it three at the 13:31 mark, and after a Walsh jumper with 12 minutes to go, La Salle held its largest lead to that point at 13 (45-32).

A 7-0 Spartan run capped by Gini Grimsley's third three-pointer of the game cut the Explorer lead down to six with 9:07 left. That was UNC Greensboro's first three of the second half and they were just 3-of-10 after intermission. Grimsley scored 11 in the game, while Kemena Brooks, who also hit three threes, led the Spartans with 14 points.

The Explorers scored six unanswered points to push their lead back to double figures and the Spartans never got closer than nine the rest of the way, as La Salle knocked down 5-of-6 free throws in the game's final four minutes. Hightower hit four in the stretch and was a perfect 10-of-10 from the line in the game.

La Salle (4-6), who ended its three-game losing streak, will play its last game before the holiday when the Explorers take on Appalachian State at 5 PM on Thursday in the last day of the Central Florida Classic.