Nov. 19, 2008
Box Score
PHILADELPHIA - Junior Morgan Robertson notched her second straight double-double and freshman Jenna Gilbert was in double figures for the first time this season, but it was not enough as Delaware handed La Salle Women's Basketball its first loss of the season, 71-57, Wednesday night at Tom Gola Arena.
Robertson increased her career high for points to 22 on 10-of-14 shooting from the floor. She added 10 rebounds for her third career double-double and also tied her career high with four assists. Gilbert scored 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor, 4-for-4 from the foul line, and also grabbed six boards.
It was the post players keeping the Explorers in the contest, because their outside shooting was just not there this night. After hitting 19 three-point baskets in the first two games - on 33 attempts (57.6%) - La Salle struggled from behind the arc, managing to hit just 4-of-20 (20.0%). The Explorers also committed 22 turnovers, the most since Nov. 10, 2006 at Albany, the season opener that year.
Delaware (2-0) opened up a six-point lead early in the game, thanks to back-to-back baskets by Eva Riddick, and after Corinthia Benison scored on a jumper five minutes into the ballgame, the lead was still six at 12-6.
The Explorers battled back as Gilbert scored six straight La Salle points, Robertson scored four and after senior Margaret Elderton grabbed a loose ball and went coast-to-coast at the 8:38 mark, La Salle led for the first and only time 21-20.
The Blue Hens responded with six straight points, and then when they were leading by just two (28-26) with 2:20 left before intermission, Tesia Harris knocked down a three then scored on a jumper to give Delaware its largest lead of the half at seven, 33-26. She ended the night with a team-high 18 points and eight boards.
Gilbert would help get the lead down to four before the teams heading into the locker rooms, and out of them, the teams trading baskets before Elderton connected on another three, pulling the Explorers to within three, 39-36, with 18:01 left in the game.
However, the Blue Hens were able to slowly build their lead to as much as nine points at 52-43 after Vanessa Kabongo scored two of her 15 points. But it was freshman Nadia Duncan, who capped a 6-1 run by the Explorers to get deficit back to four with 4:17 to play. She finished with five points, three assists and two boards.
But again, Delaware answered, scoring six straight to push its lead into double figures and La Salle would get closer than seven the rest of the way as Delaware made 10 straight foul shots to close out the contest.
La Salle (2-1) ends a three-game homestand hosting Drexel on Saturday at 1 PM, before a four-game road swing.
Additional Notes:
- This was the 24th meeting between the two schools...La Salle still holds a 16-8 edge all-time, including a 9-4 mark at home. However, the Blue Hens have won the last three games at Tom Gola Arena, which included a 66-52 victory on Dec. 5, 2006, when the teams were a combined 13-1.
- La Salle collected 14 offensive rebounds in the contest - four each by Robertson and Gilbert - for the first time since also grabbing 14 against Binghamton on Dec. 1, 2007.
- Junior Jamie Walsh has hit at least two three-point baskets in each game this season, and now has 88 career makes, nine shy of the school's all-time top 10 list.
