Jenna Graber scored 11 points, including six during a key Explorer run.

Shaune McLaughlin was a perfect 10-for-10 from the foul line down the stretch.

Davineia Payne moved into 15th place on the all-time scoring list with her eight points.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - The La Salle University Women's Basketball team used an 18-4 run in a four-minute span in the second half to turn a tie game with Saint Joseph's into a 14-point lead, and then hit 15-of-16 free throws down the stretch to hold on for a 65-50 victory over the Hawks, in Atlantic 10 action Sunday afternoon at Tom Gola Arena.

 

La Salle's victory coupled with George Washington's 55-53 loss at Massachusetts moves the Explorers into first place in the conference. They sit a half-game above George Washington, Temple, and Charlotte, all of whom have a 5-1 mark in the A-10.

 

Saint Joseph's (12-6, 4-3 A-10) led early in the game by 10 points, but trailed for most of the second half. They finally got their first lead in the second after a Timisha Gomez three-pointer, and when Erica Pollock scored two of her team-high 18 points with 9:25 left in the game, the game was knotted at 32-32.

 

Junior Jenna Graber (Clarksburg, NJ/Peddie School) hit a pair of three pointers in the run, while sophomore Melanie Gibbons (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) scored a basket and hit two free throws. Freshman Tara Lapetina (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) capped the run with her third three pointer of the game, and gave the Explorers a 50-36 lead with 5:11 left in the contest.

 

Senior Shaune McLaughlin (Somers Point, NJ/Mainland Regional) was perfect from the foul line from that points on, hitting 10-for-10, while classmate Davineia Payne (Bear, DE/Caravel Academy) was 3-for-4 and Graber converted her only two.

 

Junior Crista Ricketts (Douglasville, PA/Daniel Boone) led the Explorers with 16 points and nine rebounds, while McLaughlin added 14 points and Graber 11. Payne also grabbed nine boards and scored eight points, while Lapetina scored nine points off the bench, her most since a career-high 11 versus Rider on Dec. 4.

 

La Salle (9-8, 6-1 A-10) hit a season-high 26 free throws, including 22 in the second half. They also connected on seven three-point baskets, and held the Hawks to just 3-of-18 from behind the arc.

 

With the win, La Salle equals its best start in school history in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The 1996-97 squad started the conference 6-1, went on to finish 12-4 and reached the A-10 tournament's semifinals. The six wins in the A-10 also match the win totals in two of the last three seasons - 2003-04 team won seven conference games.

 

The Explorers held Saint Joseph's top two scorers, Ayahna Cornish (12.5 PPG) and Faith Schutte (10.1 PPG) to just 10 points combined and no Hawk, other than Pollock, reach double figures in scoring. Maura McBryan recorded a team-high seven rebounds.

 

The Explorers return to action Tuesday night, when they host Penn at Tom Gola Arena at 7 PM. They get back into conference play starting Friday, hosting Massachusetts at 7 PM, then travel to Charlotte for a 12 PM tip.