Dec. 5, 2010
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
PHILADELPHIA - Offense was the story for the La Salle women's basketball team on Sunday as five Explorers reached double figures in an 86-73 non-conference win over Tulsa at Tom Gola Arena. Ashley Gale led the quintet with 19 points while becoming the fourth Explorer this season to register a double-double by adding 10 rebounds.
Michea Bryant added 16 points, Ebonee Jones scored 15, and Chelsea Conner and Jess Koci chipped in 14 apiece for the Explorers (3-4). Bryant shot 6-for-10, including 3-for-3 from three-point range. Koci added a perfect 10-for-10 performance from the free throw line. In addition, all eight Explorers who saw time on the court scored at least two points and seven pulled down at least one rebound. Tulsa's Tatum Beer led the Golden Hurricane (2-4) with 18 points on 5-for-7 shooting from three-point land. Loren McDaniel added 13 while also registering a double-double with 10 boards.
Gale stormed out of the gate in the opening minutes, sinking the first eight points of the game with two straight treys and a jumper in the first 2:12. Conner extended the lead to 12-0 with four straight points of her own on a layup and a jumper and Bryant added two points to give the home squad a 14-0 lead heading into the first media timeout.
Taleya Mayberry put the guests on the board at the 14:53 mark on a fastbreak layup, but the guests would never get closer than eight in the first half. The Explorers extended their lead to as many as 16 when Bryant drained a three-pointer at the 8:21 mark and would take a 12-point 38-26 lead into the break.
"We got off to a tremendous start and I think that was a carryover from our practices this week," Head Coach Jeff Williams said. "We've been really focusing on competing and putting extra time into shooting outside of practice, which helped us get out to that early lead.
The Golden Hurricane scored the first four points of the second half to cut the deficit back to eight but that proved to be the closest the visiting team would get the rest of the game.
The Explorers shot 46.4 percent for the game to the Golden Hurricane's 36.5 percent. That includes a 47.1 percent performance on 8-for-17 shooting from beyond the arc.
Tulsa held a 43-39 rebounding edge behind 10 from McDaniel and nine from Amanda Mason. Gale pulled down 10 for her first career double-double and Koci added seven.
"Ashley's been phenomenal," Williams said. "Her senior leadership along with Chelsea [Conner] has been tremendous. Ashley just had surgery a month and a half ago, so for her to be playing at the level she's playing is a tribute to her and how much she wants to have a successful senior year."
"This was a tremendous win and we are very excited about it," Williams added. "We just have to continue to work hard and get better each and every day."
The Explorers head on the road on Saturday when they visit Lafayette for a 1:00 PM tip-off.
