Brooklyn Heights, NY - The La Salle University Women's Basketball team defeated the St. Francis College Terriers today, Saturday, December 20, 2003, 67-53. Sophomore Davineia Payne (Bear, DE/Caravel Academy) recorded her second double double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
The Explorers struggled in the first period with the Terriers full court press, but behind the offensive leadership of junior co-captain Jill Marano (Crofton, MD/Arundel) the Explorers pulled out their fifth win of the season, improving to 5-3. Marano led the team with 20 points, she was a perfect 2-2 from behind the three-point arc, and shot 50% from the field. She also led the team in assists with six, this is her second straight six-assist performance.
La Salle went into the locker room down by two, 33-31, but had trailed by as many as nine points in the first half. The Explorers came out to outscore the Terriers 36-20 in the second half.
La Salle out-rebounded St. Francis 44-29, and committed just four second half turnovers, as opposed to the 14 turnovers recorded in the first period.
Senior Ekaterina Markova (Sophia, Bulgaria/Levski Vessil) added eight points and pulled down five points while junior Meghan Wilkinson (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown) contributed seven points. Wilkinson along with Payne both dished out three assists a piece as sophomore Shaune McLaughlin (Somers Point, NJ/Mainland Regional) tallied four. McLaughlin also had four points, she was a perfecy 4-4 from the foul line in the victory.
Junior Monica Garrido Sanz (Madrid, Spain/Majadahonda) accumulated seven points and five rebounds while freshman Crista Ricketts (Douglasville, PA/Daniel Boone) added six points and pulled down seven rebounds, six of which were defensive. Freshman Jenna Graber (Clarksburg, NJ/Peddie School) added three points in the win.
The Explorers will break for the Holidays and return to action in the La Salle Invitational, December 29th-30th. The Explorers will face Coppin State College in the first round of the Invitational at 7:00 p.m., and will see either Bucknell or Providence College on the second day.
