Davineia Payne had eight points and 10 boards in the game.

Jenna Graber scored five points during the team's run at the end of the game.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Despite a game-high 24 points from junior Crista Ricketts (Douglasville, PA/Daniel Boone), the La Salle University Women's Basketball dropped a 53-48 decision to the host Drexel Dragons, Saturday afternoon at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

 

Ricketts scored the 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the floor and 4-of-6 from the foul line. It was her 17^th career game with more than 20 points; however it was only the fifth time the Explorers have fallen when she hits the mark.

 

Drexel (3-3) scored the games' first basket and never trailed in the contest. The Dragons were led by Catherine Scanlon, who scored 14 points and had eight rebounds, Nicole Hester, 12 points, five boards, and three assists, and Delise Johnson, 11 points and nine rebounds.

 

La Salle (3-4) would never be closer then after an Alyse Hoover (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest) three-point basket pulled them to within one at 8-7 with 11:52 left in the first half. Drexel would score the games' next seven points and take a nine-point lead into the locker room.

 

The Explorers would cut their deficit back to four at 28-24, just 4:30 minutes into the second half after a Ricketts' free throw, but Ricketts would be whistled for her third and fourth fouls over the next two minutes, sending her to the bench for the next seven minutes.

 

The Dragons pushed the lead to as many as 15 and after Narissa Suber converted two free throws, held a 51-37 lead with 4:44 left in the game. It would be the last points Drexel would score until Jackie Falson iced the game with 16 seconds left with two more free throws.

 

During that run, senior Davineia Payne (Bear, DE/Caravel Academy) was the only Explorer to score, picking up six of her eight points during the stretch. She also added a game-high 10 rebounds to her totals.

 

La Salle would hold Drexel to just six points over the last 8:30 of the game (all free throws) as they cut a 15-point deficit down to three points. Ricketts scored eight points during the run, and classmate Jenna Graber (Clarksburg, NJ/Peddie School) scored five. Her two foul shots pulled La Salle to 51-48 with 17 seconds left, but Falson provided the game's final points with her two free throws.

 

The Explorers held the Dragons to just 25.0% shooting in the second half and forced them into eight turnovers, while they committed just eight the entire contest. The game was won on the foul line, as Drexel hit 17-of-22 (77.3%) and the Explorers 12-of-23 (52.5%).

 

La Salle (3-4) has nine days off before hosting Big 5-rival Villanova (Dec. 20) and nationally-ranked Vanderbilt (Dec. 22).