FAIRFIELD, CT - Senior Crista Ricketts (Douglasville, PA/Daniel Boone) continued her spectacular start to the season with the La Salle University Women's Basketball team, this time scoring 26 points and grabbing a career-high 17 rebounds in the Explorers 70-60 victory over Sacred Heart Friday night in non-conference action at the William H. Pitt Center.

 

Ricketts was 8-of-15 from the floor and converted 10-of-11 free throws, while recording her 21st career game with 20+ points - La Salle is 16-5 in those contests - and she also registered her 14th career double-double in the win. With her 26, Ricketts moved into the 13th spot on the school's all-time scoring list and now has 1,212 career points.

 

It was a slow start for Ricketts and the Explorers, though, as they fell down by as many as 12 points early. And despite playing in a gym where the host was undefeated last season (15-0) and was 99-19 all-time entering the evening, La Salle battled back and took a 38-31 halftime lead. A lead they increased to as many as 13 in the second half.

 

However, the Pioneers were not going to let that winning streak end without a fight, as they cut the La Salle advantage to just three with 5:10 left in the game. Sacred Heart had two possessions to get even closer, but would not.

 

Junior Alyse Hoover (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest), who scored a career-high 13 points in the game, increased the lead back to six with 3:47 left in the game when she hit a three-point basket as the shot clock expired. Senior Jenna Graber (Clarksburg, NJ/Peddie School) pushed it to 10 when she sandwiched two made foul shots by the Pioneers with a pair of three pointers.

 

Back-to-back baskets by the Pioneers cut the lead back to six, but Hoover and Ricketts each made two foul shots in the game's final minute to secure the win.

 

La Salle (3-0) is off to its best start since the 1999-2000 season when they started 4-0 and with its third road victory matches last year's total. They continue on the road with a Tuesday game at Penn tipping at 5:00 PM.