Pittsburgh, PA - Despite four different Explorers scoring in double digits the La Salle women's basketball team dropped its third conference game of the season 64-60 to the Duquesne University Dukes. La Salle falls to 7-8 on the season and 1-3 in the conference in its seventh loss by eight points or less.
La Salle scored first in the game, but did not score again until the 15:21 mark, at which time the Dukes had already built an 8-2 lead. Although La Salle shot just 33% in the first half the Explorers went into the locker room leading 30-26. The lead was large in part to the Explorers scoring 15 points off Duquense's 12 turnovers, compared to the Dukes scoring no points off of La Salle's five first half turnovers.
La Salle senior Meghan Wilkinson (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown) led the way in the first half for the Explorers scoring 11 of her 14 points.
The tables turned in the second half as the Dukes scored the first six points of the half off La Salle turnovers. Duquesne opened the half with an 11-2 run and took a 37-32 lead. La Salle senior Jill Marano (Crofton, MD/Arundel) silenced the run scoring eight points in a row, including two three pointers and a lay-up from freshman Carlene Hightower (Philadelphia, PA/Prendergast).
The Dukes went on a second run, this time 15-6 and took a 52-43 lead with 8:22 remaining in the game. The Explorers battled back and brought the game to within one point on three different occasions in the final four minutes, but could not take the lead back.
La Salle was led by Wilkinson and sophomore Crista Ricketts (Douglasville, PA/Daniel Boone) who both finished with 14 points. Marano tallied 13 points in the loss and junior Lamera Ferguson (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham) scored a career high 10 points. Junior Shaune McLaughlin (Somers Point, NJ/Mainland Regional) also tallied a career high, but in rebounds as she led La Salle with eight.
The Explorers return home to host the Temple Owls, who are undefeated in the conference, this Monday, January 17th for a 1:00 p.m. tip-off.
