Jenna Graber hit a pair of threes and scored eight points.

Carlene Hightower had nine points, nine rebounds and three steals.

Melanie Gibbons pulled down a career-high nine rebounds.

PHILADELPHIA - With its 56-49 victory over Binghamton Wednesday night at Tom Gola Arena - its home opener -  the La Salle University Women's Basketball team has now started the year with six straight wins, marking only the second time in school history and following the steps of the 1988-89 squad.

 

Senior Crista Ricketts (Douglasville, PA/Daniel Boone) was held in check early, scoring just four points and grabbing just two rebounds in the first half, but was the difference in the game. She finished with her 17th career double-double and fourth straight, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

 

Struggling to find its offense early - they were just 3-for-11 and had three turnovers; the Explorers got a spark from the bench. Trailing by two at 11-9 just seven minutes into the game, senior Jenna Graber (Clarksburg, NJ/Peddie School) hit a three to give La Salle the lead, then freshman Morgan Robertson (Amarillo, TX/Amarillo) took over.

 

She scored seven of nine more unanswered points, starting with a 15-foot jumper, followed by two baskets, assisted by classmate Jamie Walsh (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown East), and when she converted just one of her foul shots at the 8:09 mark of the first half, the Explorers led 21-11.

 

Binghamton (2-4) would cut the lead down to five points with 4:35 left before the break, but the Explorers closed out the half on a 9-2 run capped by Graber's basket just before the buzzer, giving La Salle a 32-20 halftime advantage.

 

Junior Carlene Hightower (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Prendergast) scored the first basket after intermission to give La Salle its largest lead of the night at 14, but the Bearcats stuck around as the lead hovered around 10 points.

 

When sophomore Tara Lapetina (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) knocked down a three-point basket with less than 13 minutes left in the game, La Salle led 46-34. Over the next five minutes, though, the Bearcats used a 9-2 run to get the deficit back to five points, again, with 8:05 left.

 

This time it was Ricketts who took over the game. With the five-point lead, Ricketts grabbed an offensive rebound to keep possession for La Salle. Then, after a timeout, scored on a lay-up and converted four foul shots to push the Explorer lead back to double figures and Binghamton would never get closer again.

 

Hightower finished with nine points, nine boards, and three steals, while Robertson also scored nine. Graber chipped in eight points and four boards, while junior Melanie Gibbons (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) added five points and a career-high nine rebounds, and Lapetina had five points and five assists.

 

The Explorers return to the road, where they have won five in a row, to take on Rider, Saturday at 2 PM.