Nov. 14, 2010
Box Score
BALTIMORE, MD - Behind a pair of double-doubles from Nadia Duncan and Ebonee Jones, La Salle Women's Basketball registered its first win of the season, 64-57, over Loyola (MD) Sunday evening at the Reitz Arena and with it gave Jeff Williams his first head coaching victory.
Duncan pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds, the most by an Explorer in two years, to go with a game-high 19 points, one shy of her career high to record her second career double-double. Jones gets her first double-double with a career high 10 rebounds to go with 11 points and two steals, also one shy of her career high.
This is the first time La Salle has had a pair of Explorers notch double-doubles in the same game since Crista Ricketts and Carlene Hightower each did it versus Morgan State on Dec. 29, 2006. Those two actually did it twice that season - also on Nov. 26 at Wagner. Lastly, the Explorers had just three double-doubles on the books last season, one by Duncan.
Sunday night, two other Explorers reached double figures in points as Ashley Gale scored 12 points, added nine rebounds, a career-high tying five assists, and two assists, and Jess Koci who scored 11 points and pulled down five boards. Over the last three-plus seasons, La Salle is 12-1 when four players score at least 10.
Alexis Scott, who was two points shy of double figures with eight points, tied for game-high in assists with three and also had five rebounds and two steals. As a team, La Salle held a 50-40 edge in rebounds, last reaching at least 50 during the 2006 season (51 at Sacred Heart on 11/17).
The Explorers made the most out of the 23 offensive rebounds they pulled down, outscoring the Greyhounds 23-3 in second-chance points. They also held advantages in points in the paint (32-18) and points off turnovers (24-17).
Loyola (MD) (0-2) was led by Miriam McKenzie, who also had a double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds, Erica DiClemente with 15 points, three assists, and Katie Sheahin with 11 points and five steals.
La Salle used two key runs in each half to help it to victory. In the first half, the Greyhounds took an 8-2 lead 3:30 into the game and were still up six at the 13-minute mark.
Duncan scored six points in a three-minute stretch to highlight an Explorer 10-0 run to give them a four-point lead. That would be the largest lead for either team the rest of the half as Loyola (MD) took a two-point edge, 29-27, into the locker rooms.
The teams traded the lead three times through the first 10 minutes of the second half, and La Salle built its lead back to four at 41-37 after a Koci lay-up with 12:37 left in the game.
However, the Greyhounds used a 13-2 run over a five-minute span to build its largest lead of the game at seven. Back-to-back threes by DiClemente and Nicole Krusen turned a one-point deficit into a five-point lead.
Williams would call a timeout after the second three, but a La Salle turnover and a Alyssa Sutherland short jumper at the 7:42 mark put Loyola (MD) up 50-43.
The second run that changed the game in favor of the Explorers began with a Jones lay-up after one of Duncan's eight offensive rebounds. That basket ignited a 16-0 Explorers run that saw the team keep the Greyhounds off the board for more than six minutes build a nine-point lead.
Six Explorers scored in the run with Duncan leading the charge with five, Scott had four, Gale and Michea Bryant three each, and Jones and Koci two.
La Salle (1-1) converted 5-of-6 from the foul line the rest of the way to secure the victory.
The Explorers are next in action when they host their home opener on Tuesday night at Tom Gola Arena against Drexel starting at 7 PM.
