Philadelphia, PA - The La Salle University Women's Basketball team downed the Howard University Bison 70-49 tonight Wednesday, December 17th. This victory comes after the Explorers traveled to Binghamton, and returned with out playing the game due to the snow storm.

The Explorers had a tough time breaking the Bison full court press in the first half, but junior guards Jill Marano (Crofton, MD/Arundel) and Meghan Wilkinson (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown) along with sophomore Shaune McLaughlin (Somers Point, N.J./Mainland Regional) rallied in the second half, where La Salle outscored Howard 30-17. Marano, Wilkinson, and McLaughlin combined for 14 of the Explorers 20 total assists.

Marano continues to lead the team in scoring after tallying 13 points tonight, she is now averaging 15.7. She led the team in both assists with six and steals with three. Freshman Crista Ricketts (Douglasville, PA/Daniel Boone) recorded 14 points, she had her third double double of the season adding ten rebounds. Ricketts was a perfect 6-6 from the foul line and also accumulated four assists. Ricketts has now scored in double digits in all seven of the Explorers games.

Senior co-captain Ekaterina Markova (Sophia, Bulgaria/Vassil Levski) recorded a season high 12 points, she was 6-7 from the field. Markova would have been a perfect 6-6 from the field, but threw up a desperation shot as the seconds ticked away towards the end of the first half.

The only other Explorer to score in double digits was sophomore Davineia Payne (Bear, DE/Caravel Academy) with ten. Payne, who is second on the team in rebounds averaging 7.4, also pulled down seven rebounds in tonight's victory.

McLaughlin finished the game with seven points and three assists while senior Kat Foley (Troy, NY/Averill Park) added five. Wikinson had three points while junior Monica Garrido Sanz (Madrid, Spain/C.B. Majadahonda), freshman Jenna Graber (Clarksburg, NJ/Peddie School), and sophomore walk-on Janell Phillips (Langhorne, Pa./New Brunswick) combined for six points.

La Salle, now 4-3, will travel to St. Francis (NY) this Saturday, December 20th for a 2:00 p.m. contest. The Explorers will then return home for the La Salle Invitational which will feature Coppin State, Providence College, and Bucknell University December 29th-30th in Tom Gola Arena.