Box Score

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Jada Payne scored a game-best 18 points in her return to her home state, but the La Salle women's basketball team saw its six-game win streak snapped at the hands of Charlotte, 77-66, at Halton Arena on Wednesday.

The contest featured two of the three remaining unbeaten squads in Atlantic 10 play. The 49ers move to 12-6 overall, 4-0 in the Atlantic 10, while the Explorers drop to 9-10 (3-1 Atlantic 10).

In addition to her 18 points, Payne pulled down a team-best eight rebounds. Alexis Scott added 16 points for the Explorers and Brittany Wilson scored 15 while pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out four assists.

Payne's high school teammates, Hillary Sigmon, along with Jennifer Hailey scored 17 points each to lead the Niners. Epiphany Woodson added 14 and Amanda Dowe contributed a double-double with 10 points and a game-best 10 boards.

Payne scored 11 of her 18 points and Wilson scored nine of her 15 in a first half that saw the Explorers shoot 53.3 percent (16-for-30), including a perfect 3-for-3 mark from three-point territory.

The Explorers and Niners played the first half neck-in-neck, trading baskets until the Explorers went up 14-13 on a Scott layup at the 12:31 mark and remained ahead of the home team for the majority of the rest of the half. Charlotte tied it at 29-29 on a Woodson trey with 4:53 until the half but a Wilson three-point play at 4:04 put the Explorers ahead again.

Charlotte gained its first lead on a Woodson jumper at 3:34 and stayed ahead until a Wilson layup with 11 seconds until the half knotted the score at 37-all, which held into the break.

The second half was all Charlotte. With the Explorers holding a 40-39 lead at 17:13, the home squad put together a 15-2 run capped by two Gabby Tyler free throws at 11:48 for a 55-42 score.

The Explorers responded with a 7-0 spur to get within six at 55-49 on a Payne trey at 10:27 and got back to six again on two Scott free throws at 9:34. The Niners jumped back in with a 7-2 spurt to open up an 11-point lead with 7:41 left.

A Wilson jumper at 5:50 brought the Blue & Gold within six once more at 66-60, but that was the closest the Explorers got down the stretch as the shooting went cold.

Charlotte shot 48.1 percent for the game, while the Explorers went 38.7 percent. The Explorers won the rebounding battle over the top rebounding squad in the conference, earning a 37-32 edge on the boards.

The Explorers remain on the road with a game at Richmond on Saturday (1/21) at 1 p.m.