Jan. 10, 2009
Box Score
ST. BONAVENTURE, NY – La Salle Women’s Basketball again erased a nine-point halftime deficit, but this time could not pull out the win as St. Bonaventure handed the Explorers a 62-57 defeat in both teams Atlantic 10 Conference opener at the Reilly Center, Saturday afternoon.
Morgan Robertson posted her seventh double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-high 11 boards, while Margaret Elderton led the Explorers with 16 points and Ashley Gale added 11. Off the bench, Antonia Gale scored eight, tied her career-high with five boards and had a pair of assists.
To open the game, the Bonnies netted the first 10 points before Jamie Walsh ended La Salle’s drought with a jumper in the lane at the 15:19 mark.
After back-to-back lay-ups by Mega Van Tatenhove, St. Bonaventure took its largest lead of the game at 11 (16-5), before the Explorers whittled the deficit to four using an 11-4 run over a 3:25 span.
Tara Lapetina started it with a three pointer as both Elderton and Robertson scored four points in the stretch, and after a Robertson 15-footer, they trailed 20-16 with 7:12 left before the break.
St. Bonaventure (12-4, 1-0 A-10) responded with a 6-0 run over the next two minutes, as Dana Mitchell scored 10 straight Bonnies points (the four in the Explorers’ run as well) to built the lead back to 10.
Ashley Gale tallied La Salle’s last six points of the half, but Cara Gustafson’s three pointer just before the half-time buzzer gave the Bonnies a nine-point lead at the break (31-22).
Out of the locker rooms, La Salle scored the first six points on baskets by Gale, Elderton, and Robertson, and had the ball with a chance to tie it up, less than three minutes into the second half.
However, Walsh’s three missed and two minutes later, the Bonnies were back up eight, and it was again eight (40-32) after a Mitchell basket with 13:57 left in regulation.
La Salle (9-7, 0-1 A-10) answered with a 12-0 run over the next five minutes to take its first lead of the afternoon.
Antonia Gale converted four foul shots sandwiched around back-to-back threes from Elderton and Lapetina, and when Robertson knocked down a pair of free throws at the 8:27 mark, the Explorers led 44-40.
After four straight points from Mitchell, the scored was tied, and over the next six minutes, each team held the lead four times. When Antonia Gale scored on a lay-up with 2:48 remaining the game was tied for the fifth time at 55-all.
However, Mitchell gave the Bonnies a three-point lead with only her second three of the season with 1:33 remaining and free throws down the stretch sealed their win.
Mitchell led all scorers with a season-high 27 points, but two costly missed free throws in the last 20 seconds gave the Explorers a chance at the end.
For Robertson, her seven double-doubles is second among A-10 players and one shy of the most by an Explorer this decade – Crista Ricketts, 8, 2006-07.
The Explorers return home to host their first contest since a 63-47 victory over Rider on Dec. 21 – a span of 24 days. They will face Richmond on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at Tom Gola Arena – a 12 PM tip as part of Elementary School Day.
