Jan. 9, 2010
Box Score
RICHMOND, VA - Jamie Walsh connected on three three-point baskets setting the La Salle Women's Basketball career made threes record. However, a late 12-0 first half run helped the host Richmond Spiders to a 65-52 victory in the Atlantic 10 Conference opener for both teams at the Robins Center Saturday afternoon.
Walsh, a senior from Downingtown East High School, hit her third three of the game at the 8:22 mark of the second half, which was her 176th of her career.
She started the day in third place all-time with 173 and tied Jen Zenszer (1997-01) with her first make for second place. She then tied Meghan Wilkinson (2001-05) for first with her second make in the second half. Ironically, before coming to La Salle, Wilkinson played at Downingtown High School.
As for the game, the first half featured 10 lead changes and the scored was tied nine times. Through the first 18 minutes, neither team built more than a four-point lead, which was Richmond at 9-5 six minutes into the contest.
Down by two, 17-15, La Salle scored on two straight possessions as Morgan Robertson made a lay-up and hit a three to give the Explorers their biggest lead of the afternoon of three with 8:34 left in the first.
After the Spiders responded with a five-point run of their own, La Salle took back to the lead thanks to a Danielle Callahan lay-up and two Robertson foul shots, but Richmond's Kara Powell knocked down a three to reclaim the lead for her team.
La Salle (5-11, 0-1 A-10) got another lay-up from Robertson, who led the Explorers with 18 points and six rebounds, and when Nadia Duncan scored on a driving lay-up with 2:15 left before the break, her team was up again by three, 28-25.
Brittani Shells, who was limited to just five points to this point, connected on a three to tie the game and sparked a Spider 12-0 run to close the half. Powell scored on a three-point play and Shells made two shots before the intermission to give her team a nine-point lead going into the locker rooms (37-28).
Shells entered the game as the conference's leading scoring with a 17.9 points per game average. She ended the afternoon with a game-high 23 points and added five boards.
In the second half, the Explorers would close to within five at 40-35 on another Callahan make with 16:02 left in the game. She ended with a season-high six points and added a season-high tying five assists.
It was a six-point deficit at 47-41 with under 13 minutes left on a Danielle Mickiewicz lay-up, however Richmond used a 7-0 run to build its lead to double figures and the Explorers would not get closer than eight the rest of the way.
Richmond (12-4, 1-0 A-10) had two other players in double figures, Powell with 11 and Rachael Bilney 10 off the bench. They converted 24 La Salle turnovers - 16 were steals - into 31 points. Danielle Bell had six of those steals to go with seven points and five assists.
La Salle had two players with nine points, Walsh, who added four rebounds, and Antonia Gale, while Ashley Gale had five assists, five rebounds, four points, and two steals.
The Explorers return to action on Wednesday with a trip to Charlotte and a 7 PM start time.
