Dec. 31, 2007

Box Score

MILWAUKEE, WI - The deficit was just too much for the La Salle University Women's Basketball team to overcome this time, as they fell behind by more than 20 in the first half to the UW-Milwaukee Panthers Monday afternoon in non-conference action at the Klotsche Center and eventually fell 77-61.

The Panthers used a pair of double figure scoring runs in first 10 minutes to take control of the game. After La Salle scored the game's first basket - a Carlene Hightower lay-up - UW-Milwaukee scored 13 straight points in a five minute span.

Alyse Hoover broke the string with the Explorers' only three of the first half and Jamie Walsh made it 15-7 with a short jumper, but the Panthers scored 10 unanswered over a three-minute stretch to build an 18-point advantage. It was as high as 23 points in the first - 37-23 after a pair of Traci Edwards free throws - and they took a 21-point lead into the locker rooms.

UW-Milwaukee (5-6) hit eight-of-nine three-point baskets and shot 15-of-26 overall (57.7%) in the first opposed to the Explorers 39.1% (9-23). The Panthers hit a total of 12 threes in the game, tying their season high and were just two makes off a school record.

Edwards knocked down a pair of foul shots to start the second half to push the Panther lead back to 23, but the Explorers answered with seven straight points. Walsh started it with a three, Hightower added a basket, and Melanie Gibbons ended the run with a 10-foot baseline jumper to cut their deficit to 16.

The Panthers missed their first five shots out of the break, including two threes, but Edwards stopped La Salle's run with a jumper, then scored two more of her team-high 17 on the next possession to answer another Gibbons basket. They started to hit again from the outside sinking four threes in a six-minute span, to push their lead back above 20.

Hightower led the Explorers with 14 points, while Walsh added 13 points, Hoover 12, and Gibbons had nine and added a team-high five rebounds. The Panthers controlled the glass, 40-19, as Edwards grabbed a game-high 10 boards to add to her totals.

La Salle (6-7) will play two more non-conference games before opening up its A-10 slate, Jan. 12 at Richmond. The Explorers travel to Lafayette on Friday, Jan. 4 with a 7 PM tip, then host Penn on Monday, Jan. 7 at 7 PM.