Jan. 13, 2010

Box Score

CHARLOTTE, NC - One game after Jamie Walsh broke the La Salle Women's Basketball school record for career made three-point baskets; she quickly increased her total as she knocked down five in a game-high 20-point effort. However Charlotte had four players in double figures and registered the 69-60 Atlantic 10 Conference victory Wednesday night.

Walsh was 7-of-9 overall from the floor, including 5-of-7 from behind the arc, to tally her season-high, while she added a team-high tying four rebounds, two assists, and a steal to her totals. She now has 181 career threes and is just four makes shy of cracking the league's top 25 all-time.

It was Tara Lapetina, though, who knotted the game at five with a three and Walsh gave La Salle an early lead with a jumper from just inside the line.

Charlotte responded with a six-point run, sparked by a pair of steals and fast-break lay-ups as the 49ers took its lead back. They finished the game with the advantage in points off turnovers, 23-19, and fast-break points, 12-8.

Walsh then capped a quick five-point run by the Explorers with her first three-point basket of the evening, which gave La Salle its last lead of 12-11 with 12:46 left in the first.

The 49ers rattled off nine straight, four of which came off of turnovers, and used a 13-3 run overall to take a nine-point advantage. They increased it to as much as 12 before the half, but Nadia Duncan scored on a lay-up just before the buzzer to make it 33-23 at the break.

La Salle came out of the locker rooms hot, and after trading a two for a three, scored nine straight - two Walsh threes and one from Ashley Gale - to cut its deficit down to a deuce, 36-34, just 2:34 into the second half.

However, the 49ers used a 16-3 run sparked by an Aysha Jones three and capped by four Erin Floyd free throws pushed their lead to a game-high 15 points and it appeared they had weathered the Explorers storm.

The Explorers, though, held their opponents scoreless from the floor for almost eight minutes as they made one last push at the 49ers.

A 9-0 run was capped by Antonia Gale's two made free throws to make it a six-point game, and twice Morgan Robertson hit baskets to cut it to a five-point deficit - the last time 59-54 with 3:34 left in the contest.

Charlotte (8-8, 1-1 A-10) scored on two straight possessions to push its lead back to nine and the Explorers would not get closer than seven the rest of the way.

The 49ers had four players in double figures, led by Kendria Holmes and Shannon McCallum, who each had 13 points, while Floyd chipped in 12 and six boards, and Jones had 10, six assists, and three steals.

For La Salle, Robertson finished with 10 and four rebounds, and both Gales and Duncan all scored eight, with Ashley adding a team-high three assists.

The Explorers return home for their next contest, a date with #14/12-ranked Xavier, which tips at 1 PM at Tom Gola Arena.