Carlene Hightower had a career-high 14 boards to go along with 15 points.

Crista Ricketts now has 18 career double-doubles getting her fifth of this year in the win.

Melanie Gibbons tied her career-high with nine boards.

                                          

PHILADELPHIA - Both junior Carlene Hightower (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Prendergast) and senior Crista Ricketts (Douglasville, PA/Daniel Boone) registered a double-double as they helped lead the La Salle University Women's Basketball team to a 61-50 victory over Morgan State in non-conference action at Tom Gola Arena, Friday afternoon.

 

Hightower scored 15 points, grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds, had five steals, and added two assists to her, while Ricketts had 11 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. However, it was senior Jenna Graber (Clarkesburg, NJ/Peddie School) who led all scorers with 20 points, one off her career high, as she hit six three pointers.

 

After both teams failed to score in the game's first two minutes, the Explorers rattled off 12 straight points thanks in part to the three point shot, as Graber hit a pair and sophomore Tara Lapetina (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) hit one in the run.

 

Morgan State (4-5) scored its first basket, a Brandi Williams' lay-up, at the 15:06 mark of the first. Despite missing their first nine shots in the contest, the Bears battled and after a Corin Adams' basket scored with 8:43 left in the first half, the Bears trailed by just seven at 20-13.

 

La Salle countered with a 10-0 run behind the hustle of Hightower, who recorded three steals in the run, hit a lay-up, and her assist to Graber for another three pushed the Explorer advantage to 17 with 6:49 left in the opening half. They increased the lead to as many as 23 at 41-18 just before the break.

 

It was a different story after halftime, as Morgan State made a run at the Explorers. They cut the La Salle lead to as little as five with a 22-7 run out of the locker room, which included two separate 7-0 runs. When Adams, who led the Bears with 18 points, hit a three at the 9:01 mark of the second half, the Bears trailed 48-43.

 

The Explorers responded with seven straight points started with a baseline jumper by junior Alyse Hoover (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest), which was followed by another three by Graber and a Ricketts' lay-up and Morgan State would not get closer than nine points the rest of the way.

 

Junior Melanie Gibbons (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) tied her career-high with nine rebounds as she helped the Explorers win the rebounding battle, 50-43.

 

The win, the Explorers third straight and fourth in a row at home, gives La Salle 11 non-conference victories, the most since the 1993-94 squad also won 11. .

 

La Salle (11-2) now takes a trip to Nashville for a pair of games, starting with a New Year's date with #12th-ranked Vanderbilt, a 3 PM EST tip. They face Lipscomb the following day, Jan. 2 with an 8 PM EST start time.