CINCINNATI, OH - Junior Carlene Hightower (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Prendergast) led three La Salle University Women's Basketball players in double figures, scoring a game-high 20 points, however Xavier was able to overcome a 15-point first half deficit to register a 75-64 victory, Sunday in Atlantic 10 action at the Cintas Center.

It was Hightower's 11th time scoring at least 20 points this season and she recorded her fifth double-double of the year as she pulled down a game-high 10 boards as well. Senior Crista Ricketts (Douglasville, PA/Daniel Boone) added 17 points and seven boards, while off the bench freshman Jamie Walsh (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown East) chipped in 14 points, hitting a season-high four three-point baskets.

With the game tied at 8-all, the Explorers used a 9-0 run started with a basket by junior Melanie Gibbons (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) at the 14:47 mark and ended with back-to-back three pointers by senior Jenna Graber (Clarkesburg, NJ/Peddie School) and sophomore Tara Lapetina (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Carroll) to take control of the game.

DeAnna Mason knocked down a pair of free throws to end the run, but La Salle held Xavier scoreless from the field for over five minutes, as they built a 21-10 lead after two straight baskets by Hightower.

In all, the Explorers outscored the Musketeers 21-6 over a 6:30 stretch which was capped by a three pointer by Walsh. With eight minutes left before the half, La Salle was up 29-14, thanks to hitting 12-of-18 shots compared to Xavier's 5-of-18 and holding the rebounding edge at 13-6.

When Hightower scored at the 6:22 mark, the Explorers still led by 15 at 34-19, but that is when Amber Harris started to warm up. She scored all six points in a 6-2 Musketeer run to help them get within 11. Then, after a Walsh basket, Xavier held La Salle scoreless for the last 3:43 of the half and used an 8-0 run to get the deficit to five at the break.

Xavier (17-7, 5-3 A-10) came out of the locker rooms scoring, as the Musketeers continued its run in the second half to take a four-point lead (46-42) with 15:29 left in the game. Suntana Granderson scored five points in the stretch, including a three-point basket at the 17:34 mark that gave Xavier its first lead since a 3-2 advantage.

La Salle (16-8, 4-5 A-10) responded with a 10-2 run of its own, started by another Walsh three and helped by four converted free throws by Ricketts and with 12:06 left, the Explorers were up 52-48.

The Musketeers would score 12 unanswered sparked by a Granderson three-pointer and with 6:43 left in the contest, Joei Clyburn converted a pair of free throws, Xavier was back up eight, 60-52.

The Explorers made one last run, cutting the deficit to just three after Hightower knocked down her own pair of foul shots, then had the ball with a chance at getting even closer.

However, two consecutive turnovers, followed by back-to-back baskets by Clyburn pushed Xavier's lead back to seven and the Explorers would not get closer than five the rest of the way as the Musketeers shot 6-of-8 at the charity stripe in the game's last two minutes.

Clyburn and Harris led Xavier, as each scored 16 points, with Clyburn adding eight rebounds and eight blocks, and Harris seven boards and four blocks. Miranda Green added 12 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, while Granderson chipped in 11.

With her 17 points, Ricketts - already third all-time at the school in points - moved into the top 40 in scoring all-time in the Atlantic 10 with 1,544 points, good for 39th place. It also pushed her above 400 points this season for the first time in her career.

With Hightower becoming the first player in 10 years to reach the 400-point plateau in Friday's game, La Salle now has a pair of teammates with at least 400 points in the same season for only the third time in school history - Linda Hester and Jill Crandley (1985-86) and Mary Greybush and Jenn Cole (1990-91).

The Explorers return to action when they travel back to the state of Ohio to face Dayton, Thursday with a 7 PM tip.