Feb. 24, 2010
Box Score
PITTSBURGH, PA - Sophomore Nadia Duncan grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and added 10 points, while senior Morgan Robertson led La Salle Women's Basketball with 13 points. However the host Duquesne Dukes pulled out a 69-40 victory in Atlantic 10 Conference action on Wednesday night at the Palumbo Center.
The game also featured the Explorers not hitting a three-point basket for the first time in 94 outings, and this was off the heels of its record-setting performance the last three times out. For the first time in school history, La Salle hit at least 10 threes in three consecutive games, including tying the school record of 13 makes in its previous contest.
Against the Dukes, though, La Salle missed on all 10 of its shot attempts, and the last time the Explorers played at the Palumbo Center, they were 3-of-17 from behind the arc.
On the other side, Duquesne knocked down 8-of-19 from three-point land, which included three in the game's first five minutes to help the Dukes stake an early nine-point lead, 13-4.
Duncan scored those first four points for the Explorers, and then Robertson scored the next four. However, in between her two baskets - a five-minute stretch - Duquesne rattled off nine straight to build its lead to 16.
Robertson cut the deficit down to 22-10 with a lay-up at the 7:43 mark and it was still 12 a minute later after a Duncan lay-up. Through the first 17 minutes of the game, that pair scored all 12 of La Salle's points - six apiece.
Duquesne (19-9, 9-4 A-10) took a 17-point lead into the locker rooms and maintained it through the first five minutes of the second half.
Robertson scored La Salle's first five points after intermission, but after Duncan converted a pair of foul shots at the 15:18 mark, the Explorers were as close as they would be in the second half at 15 (38-23).
Duncan would respond to an Alex Gensler jumper with one of her own with 14:20 left in the game to keep it a 15-point deficit.
Gensler, who led all scorers with 15 points and was 3-of-5 from behind the line, would ignite a 16-0 Duquesne run that put the game away for the home team. Kelly Britcher scored seven of her 10 points in the run, which was capped with 8:09 left on a Jaclyn Babe basket putting the host ahead by 31.
La Salle (7-21, 2-11 A-10) did not shoot well from anywhere the entire night. Not only did they fail to make a three, they shot 15-of-55 from the floor (27.3%) and 47.6% from the foul line (10-21).
The Explorers will return to action with their final game of the regular season on Saturday at Tom Gola Arena. The game is set for 1 PM, with the annual Senior Day ceremony taking place before the tip.
