Cincinnati, OH - Head Coach Tom Lochner and the La Salle women's basketball team traveled to the Cintas Center to face the Xavier Musketeers and fell 70-45. Xavier shot an impressive 53.7% from the field while La Salle shot just 27.6%.

 

The Explorers got off to a strong start and led for the first five minutes of the game. The game was tied at the ten minute mark at 12 points a piece, but the Musketeers finished the half out scoring La Salle 23-9 and went into the locker room up 35-21.

 

La Salle came out firing, but did not score a basket until the 16:27 mark when senior Jill Marano (Crofton, MD/Arundel) drained her third of four three pointers. By that time Xavier had already scored five points and built a 19-point lead.

 

The Explorers brought the game to within 13 points in the second half, but did not come closer. La Salle shot just as much as the Musketeers, but could not get the shots to fall, shooting just 24.2% in the second half, while Xavier was 14-25 in the second period.

 

Marano was the only Explorer to score in double figures finishing with 12 points. Xavier junior Tara Boothe led all scorers with 24 points and recorded a double double pulling down 13 boards. Xavier out-rebounded La Salle 47-26 in the game with no Explorer tallying more than four rebounds.

 

La Salle freshman Carlene Hightower (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Prendergast) tallied a career high eight points in the loss. Junior Davineia Payne (Bear, DE/Caravel Academy) also added eight points, while sophomore Crista Ricketts netted seven.