Crista Ricketts recorded her first double-double of the season

Jenna Graber had career highs in both points (nine) and rebounds (six)

NEWARK, DE - A career-high 16 points by La Salle senior Shaune McLaughlin (Somers Point, NJ/Mainland Regional) was not enough to help the Explorers to victory in their 70-60 loss to Delaware, Wednesday night at the Bob Carpenter Center.

 

McLaughlin, who set a career-high with 14 assists just five days ago in a 72-55 victory over Tennessee-Martin, surpassed her previous high set almost a year ago versus Boston (15 - 12/4/04), scoring the 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and converting four free throws.

 

Junior Crista Ricketts (Douglasville, PA/Daniel Boone), who was held to her career-low in the Explorers last game (two points), recorded her second 20-point game of the season, 15^th of her career with a game-high 21 points. She also registered her first double-double of the season, ninth of her career, as she added a game-high 11 rebounds, her second straight game with at least 10 boards.

 

Classmate Jenna Graber (Clarksburg, NJ/Peddie School) had a career-night as well, scoring nine points and grabbing six rebounds.

 

Delaware (3-0) opened the game on a 12-2 run, sparked by two three-pointers by Alena Koshansky, but the Explorers cut the deficit to 14-10 with Ricketts scoring six points in the 8-2 run.

 

The Blue Hens responded with a 17-0 run, holding La Salle scoreless for more than seven minutes. Tyresa Smith and Chrissy Fisher each scored six points in the run, which pushed the score to 31-10. Fisher led Delaware with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

 

The Explorers would get to within nine points after a 14-2 run over a three-minute span, which was capped by a Ricketts' basket at the 4:09 mark of the first half, but La Salle would never get closer.

 

Delaware would take a 38-27 halftime lead into the locker room, keyed by its shooting. They were 15-of-26 (57.7%) from the field, including 4-of-8 from behind the arc.

 

The Blue Hens opened the second half much like the first, this time with a 15-4 run that pushed their lead to a game-high 22 points (53-31). They finished the game shooting 27-of-55 (49.1%), and made nine shots from beyond the three-point line.

La Salle continued to fight, cutting the deficit back to 10 before the final buzzer.

The Explorers (1-2) are next in action, when they host their first home game of the season on Sunday, Nov. 27 against Wagner at 1 PM.