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PHILADELPHIA - Alexis Scott poured in a game-high 20 points and Brittany Wilson recorded a double-double, but a second-half Explorer rally fell short as La Salle dropped a 57-53 decision to Saint Joseph's at Tom Gola Arena on Wednesday night.

The loss drops the Explorers to 11-13 overall (5-4 Atlantic 10, 1-2 Big 5), while the Hawks improve to 15-8 overall (5-4 Atlantic 10, 2-1 Big 5).

Scott's 20 points came on 8-of-16 shooting and she chipped in six rebounds. Wilson, though limited to just 1-of-12 from the field, converted nine of her 11 free throws for 11 points and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds. Nadia Duncan also contributed 11 points and eight boards.

Ashley Prim led the Hawks with 18 points, including going a perfect 4-for-4 from long range. Samira Van Grinsven added 15 points and a team-high seven boards.

Neither squad found an offensive rhythm in a game full of small spurts and no one ever held a double-digit lead in the game. The largest lead was the Hawks by eight just out of the halftime gate. For the game the Hawks shot 36.4 percent while the Explorers hit just 27.3 percent and were limited to 1-of-16 from three-point range. The Hawks shot 4-for-12 from beyond the arc.

St. Joe's jumped out to an 11-4 lead just shy of six minutes into the game before a 7-0 La Salle run brought the Blue & Gold within one at 11-10 at the 10:52 mark. The Hawks pushed the lead back to six on a Prim trey at 5:50, but the Explorers hung around and were down just five at the half at 26-21.

The Hawks pushed the halftime lead to eight at 30-22 at the 18:40 mark but the Explorers responded with a 12-1 run capped by a Scott trey at 12:49 to take a 34-31 lead.

The game was tied three more times, the last tie coming at 5:08 with the score at 49-49 thanks to a Duncan layup. A Michelle Baker free throw at 4:42 put the Hawks ahead for good, though the Explorers got within two at 55-53 with 11 seconds on the clock with another Duncan layup. SJU's Erin Shields was fouled after the inbounds pass and she sank two free throws with five seconds on the clock for the final 57-53 score.

The Explorers pounded the Hawks on the glass, outrebounding the visitors 51-34. In addition to Wilson's game-high 12 boards, Duncan and Ruvanna Campbell pulled down eight and Jess Koci added seven.

The Explorers head back on the road this weekend, taking on Rhode Island in Kingston on Saturday at 2 p.m.