Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – It was a tale of two halves on Friday evening at Tom Gola Arena, as the La Salle women's basketball team fell, 60-47, to the Temple Owls in its season opener. Alicia Cropper paced the Explorers with 13 points and Siobhan Beslow pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds.

The Explorers (0-1) came out guns-a-blazing in the first period, using a 13-point first half outburst from Cropper to lead, 27-23, at intermission. La Salle shot 35 percent in the half including a 4-10 mark from behind the arc. La Salle's defense played a major factor in its first half surge, using seven steals and three blocks.

The Owls (1-0) countered in the second half, however, and outscored the Blue and Gold 37-20 in the frame to run away with the 13-point victory. The visitors shot 55 percent (11-20) in the half and limited the Explorers to a 22 percent clip (7-32). Over the last eight minutes of the ballgame, Temple outscored the home team, 29-8.

Point guard Khristian Lee posted a sensational stat line in her first game as an Explorer, tallying 11 points, eight rebounds, five assists, five steals, and a block. Temple's Shi-Heria Shipp led all scorers with 18 points.

The Explorers play again on November 17 at 1 PM at Rutgers.