Olean, NY - The La Salle women's basketball team could not outlast the Bonnies, dropping a 82-77 decision to St. Bonaventure in overtime. La Salle falls to 8-11 overall and 2-6 in the Atlantic 10 conference.
La Salle jumped out to a huge lead and scored 14 points before the Bonnies even got on the board. St. Bonaventure battled all the way back and trailed by just one point at the intermission. The Explorers were led by sophomore Crista Ricketts (Douglasville, PA/DanileBoone) in the first half as she tallied 12 of her 16 points in the first period.
St. Bonaventure came out after the break and tallied the first points of the half to take its first lead of the game 35-34. La Salle took the lead back and the two team battled back and forth for the rest of regulation.
La Salle brought the game to within in one with 2:09 remaining in regulation and the two teams remained scoreless until St. Bonaventure's Stefanie Collins went to the line with 21 ticks remaining. She hit both shots and put her team up by three, 70-67. La Salle senior Meghan Wilkinson (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown) then drained a three pointer with seven seconds left to tie the game at 70. Wilkinson then played tough defense on the other end of the floor as the Bonnies Mandi Pierce missed a diving lay-up. Ricketts came down with the rebound and the game went in to overtime.
The Bonnies came out and hit a three to take an early lead in overtime and built a five point lead before the Explorers recorded a basket in the period at 1:34. Wilkinson continued to hit threes and bring her team closer, but the foul shooting of the Bonnies was too much for La Salle to overcome.
Wilkinson led all scorers with 23, she scored 20 of those points in the second half and overtime period combined. She was one of four players to score in double figures for La Salle. Senior Jill Marano (Crofton, MD/Arundel) scored 11 of her 13 total points in the first period, while junior Davineia Payne (Bear, DE/Caravel Academy) tallied 11 of her 15 in the second half and overtime period.
Payne led all rebounders with nine and senior Monica Garrido-Sanz (Majdahonda, Spain/C.B. Majadahonda) pulled down eight. Payne also led all players in assists as she dished out six. Junior Shaune McLaughlin (Somers Point, NJ/Mainland Regional) dished out five assists and chipped in four points. Freshman Carlene Hightower (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Prendergast) and junior Lamera Ferguson (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham) combined for six points in the overtime loss.
La Salle will return home to Tom Gola Arena and host George Washington and Fordham this weekend.
