Tara Lapetina had six assists in the victory.

Jamie Walsh had six rebounds, five points and two assists.

Morgan Robertson grabbed five rebounds and added two points.

PHILADELPHIA - Senior Crista Ricketts (Douglasville, PA/Daniel Boone) scored a career-high 30 points as she helped the La Salle University Women's Basketball team to a 67-53 victory over visiting Drexel, Saturday afternoon.

 

Ricketts hit 11-of-15 shots from the floor and 8-of-9 free throws in the game, while adding nine rebounds, four assists and one block to her totals. She became only the second female to score at least 30 points in Tom Gola Arena, matching the output by former Explorer Jill Marano against Richmond, Jan. 23, 2003, and now has 1,329 points for her career, good for ninth place on the La Salle all-time list.

 

She started the game by scoring the game's first six points, while the Explorers held the Dragons off the scoreboard for three and a half minutes to start the game. Narissa Suber hit a three for Drexel to make it a three-point game, but that would be the closest the Dragons would be the rest of the day.

 

Next, it was junior Carlene Hightower's (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Prendergast) turn to score; as she had seven of the next 10 La Salle's points to push the Explorer lead into double figures. The lead grew to as many as 16, at 21-5 with 10:45 left. Suber was the only offense for the Dragons during that time, as she hit 2-of-4 shots, while the rest of the team missed 10 attempts combined.

 

Drexel (2-6) would make a run to get as close as five points with 3:25 left in the first half, using a 10-2 run capped by back-to-back three points by Anora Suber, who led the Dragons with 12 points in the game.

 

Ricketts responded with four straight points and after sophomore Tara Lapetina (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) knocked down a three pointer, La Salle was back ahead by 12, and took a 39-30 lead into the locker room.

 

Out of the break, Drexel scored the first basket to cut the deficit to seven, but two straight buckets by Ricketts and back-to-back baskets by junior Melanie Gibbons (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan), which included a fast break lay-up on one of Lapetina's six assists of the game, opened a 15-point Explorer advantage and the lead never dipped below double figures again.

 

The Dragons kept the game close at the break by hitting 6-of-12 three point baskets, but in the second half, they were 2-of-16 from behind the arc, and shot 29.7% from the floor for the game, opposed the Explorers 49.0%

 

Hightower was the only other Explorer in double figures, with 10 points, while senior Jenna Graber (Clarkesburg, NJ/Peddie School) had eight points and four rebounds. Freshman Jamie Walsh (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown East) and Gibbons each grabbed six rebounds, while Walsh added five points, and two assists. 

 

La Salle (8-1) has a week off, before they try for their seventh road win of the season at Quinnipiac, Saturday at 1 PM.