Nov. 28, 2007
Box Score
NEWARK, DE - In her first start in the Blue and Gold, junior-transfer Margaret Elderton scored a game-high 14 points and added seven assists to help the La Salle Women's Basketball team to a 54-43 victory over Delaware in non-conference action Wednesday night at Frank Acierno Arena.
With the win, the Explorers end a four-game losing streak to the Blue Hens and win their first game at Delaware since Dec. 12, 1996, which was Head Coach Tina Martin's first season heading Delaware.
It did not look good from the start, though, as the cold shooting La Salle suffered through in its last game continued in this one, but their opponent - the Blue Hens - would also struggle from the floor in the first half.
Delaware (1-6) jumped out to a 4-0 lead after Corinthia Benison hit the first two Blue Hens' shots of the night, but that would be all the scoring they would do from the 17:46 mark to the 8:10 mark when Jamie Mundy hit a jumper. They missed their next 11 shots and turned the ball over six times in the span.
The Explorers went on a 15-0 run in that nine minute stretch to take command of the contest. Six different Explorers scored in the run, including two baskets by Alyse Hoover, an Ashley Gale three, and Melanie Gibbons ended the stretch with a 16-foot jumper at the 9:42 mark.
After Mundy's basket, Carlene Hightower finally got on the scoreboard with a basket and a free throw, and then knocked down a pair of foul shots to give the Explorers a 20-7 lead. She would end the night with just six points, but added six boards and two assists. The Explorers built their largest lead of the first half at 15 after Elderton also converted a pair of free throws with 1:53 left.
The Blue Hens scored the last four points of the half to go into the locker room down 24-13. The teams both shot below 30% in the first half - La Salle was 9-of-32 (28.1%), while Delaware was 5-for-24 (20.8%) and were a combined 1-of-19 from behind the three-point line. But the offenses came alive in the second with both teams shooting at least 40.0% and each scoring 30 points.
Delaware came out of intermission scoring the first four points and cut the deficit to six with 15 minutes left in the game and it was still six after Eva Riddick hit one of her foul shots with 13:44 left.
La Salle (3-3) responded with six straight points to get its lead back to double figures. Every time the Blue Hens would get within striking distance, the Explorers would hit key baskets to stay comfortably ahead.
Tesia Harris converted a pair of free throws with 3:09 left, to make it 48-42, but back-to-back baskets by Gale and Elderton pushed the lead back to 10 with 2:15 left. La Salle would allow the Blue Hens just one made foul shot the rest of the way to close out the game.
Elderton and Jamie Walsh, who chipped in 12 points, each scored 10 after the break to pace the Explorers. Walsh added six rebounds and three steals to her totals. Vanessa Kabongo led the Blue Hens with 11 points.
La Salle will stay on the road for its next game - a trip to Binghamton to take on the Bearcats, Saturday at 2 PM.
