Carlene Hightower scored 15+ points in her third straight game.

Jenna Graber is on pace to shatter the single-season record for made three pointers.

SAINT LOUIS, MO - After starting off the Atlantic 10 slate 6-1, the La Salle University Women's Basketball team has lost its last three in the conference play, including a 70-60 setback to Saint Louis, Friday night at the Bauman-Eberhardt Center.

 

The Explorers, playing again without leading scorer junior Crista Ricketts (Douglasville, PA/Daniel Boone), who did not make the trip, got solid performances from both senior Davineia Payne (Bear, DE/Caravel Academy) and sophomore Carlene Hightower (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Prendergast).

 

Payne scored a season-high 24 points, one off her career-high, as she hit 10-of-14 from the floor and added nine rebounds, one short of her second double-double of the season. Hightower, coming off a career-high 29 points at Charlotte, poured in 17 points and had eight boards. 

 

Saint Louis (5-15, 2-7 A-10) held the Explorers scoreless for the game's first three-and-a-half minutes, but could only score five points, but was able to a 10-4 lead after a Cara Young three-point basket.

 

Payne would pull La Salle back into the game almost by herself. She hit her first five shots from the field and scored 10 of the Explorers first 13 points. Her basket at the 12:07 mark would put La Salle up 13-12, but that lead was short-lived.

 

The Billikens would respond with a 19-6 run over the next 6:30 minutes, as Marquita McFarland scored eight of her team-high 16 points in that time. The run was started and capped by a Rachel Diener three-point basket, as she scored six in the span.

 

Trailing by 12, the Explorers closed out the first half on a 9-4 run, with Payne scoring an old-fashion three-point play and Hightower scoring the last four to cut the deficit to 35-28.

 

After the intermission, Saint Louis pushed its lead back to double figures and after back-to-back baskets by Heather King; they had its largest lead of 13 points (45-32) with less than 17 minutes left in the game.

 

La Salle (10-11, 6-4 A-10) picked up its defensive pressure and held the Billikens scoreless for more than four minutes. They used a 13-2 run with junior Jenna Graber (Clarksburg, NJ/Peddie School) hitting a pair of threes and when Hightower scored her sixth point in the stretch, the Explorers had the deficit down to two with 10:40 remaining.

 

Again the Billikens answered with another spurt, this time a 12-3 run that pushed their lead to double digits, and the Explorers would never get closer than six points the rest of the way.

 

Graber also scored in double figures, as she hit four three-point baskets for 12 points. For the season, Graber has hit 56 threes, just nine shy of the single-season record at La Salle. Payne's 24 points push her career total to 1,133 good for 14^th on the all-time list. Senior Shaune McLaughlin (Somers Point, NJ/Mainland Regional) added seven rebounds and six assists, while freshman Antonia Gale (Glenside, PA/Cheltenham) chipped in five points.

 

Saint Louis had four players reach double figures led by McFarland, who added nine rebounds. Tyler McIlwraith scored 14 points, grabbed eight boards, and had seven assists, while Diener also scored 14 points and King had 12 points and nine boards.

 

They Explorers have a week off before getting back on the court. They will try to end their slide when they host both Dayton - Friday, Feb. 10 at 7 PM - and Xavier - Sunday, Feb. 12 at 1 PM - next weekend.