PHILADELPHIA, PA - Head Coach Tom Lochner and the La Salle women's basketball team dropped a 66-55 decision to the Xavier Musketeers today, Sunday, January 23, 2005 in Tom Gola Arena. The Musketeers came to La Salle undefeated in the Atlantic 10 conference and left 6-0 in the A-10 and 12-5 overall. La Salle falls to 8-10 overall and drops its fifth conference game of the season making the Explorers 2-5 in the A-10.
La Salle senior Jill Marano (Crofton, MD/Arundel) led the way for the Explorers as she tallied 13 of her 18 total points in the first half. Marano was a perfect 3-3 from the charity stripe and pulled down six rebounds in the game. She was the only Explorer to score in double figures. Sophomore Crista Ricketts (Douglasville, PA/Daniel Boone), this week's Atlantic 10 Player of the Week, netted nine points and had a game high two blocks.
Xavier's Tara Boothe, who shares Player of the Week honors with Ricketts, scored a game high 24 points and dished out a game high five assists. Booths also pulled down seven rebounds and grabbed three steals. She was 9-20 from the field and 5-6 from the charity stripe.
La Salle senior Meghan Wilkinson (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown) and junior Davineia Payne (Bear, DE/Caravel Academy) recorded eight points a piece. Payne scored all eight in the second half and also dished out two assists. Wilkinson had a team high three assists and went 2-5 from three point land. Senior Monica Garrido-Sanz (Majadahonda, Spain/C.B. Majadahonda) and junior Lamera Ferguson (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham) combined for 12 points. Garrido-Sanz led the team in rebounds with seven.
La Salle will travel to St. Bonaventure this Sunday, January 30th at 12:00 p.m. for its next contest and then return home to host the George Washington Colonials Friday, February 4th at 7:00 p.m.
