Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - Freshman Jasmine Alston continued her stellar play, recording her first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds against a tough Villanova squad in an 83-47 setback on Sunday afternoon at Tom Gola Arena.

Alston led the squad in both scoring and rebounding with those numbers, and also dished out five of the team's six assists in the game while adding one steal. She was the lone player in the contest to play all 40 minutes.

Alicia Cropper added 11 points and five rebounds, and Micahya Owens added a near double-double of 10 points and eight rebounds for the Explorers (3-5).

Villanova's Emily Leer led all scorers with 21 points on 9-for-12 shooting. Samantha Wilkes (13 pts) and Lauren Burford (11 pts) were the other Wildcats reaching double figures. Villanova played all 13 of its suited-up players.

The Wildcats (8-1) were unstoppable from the start, building a 20-9 lead through the first 12 minutes of play. Cropper converted a three-pointer just over a minute later to get the Explorers within 22-14, but a Leer jumper pushed the Wildcat lead back to 10. The Wildcats did not relinquish their double-digit lead after that.

Villanova shot 52.5 percent (32-61) for the game, while the Explorers were limited to 25.0 percent (16-64) and just 19.0 percent (4-21) from long range. The Explorers limited the Wildcats to a 5-for-16 clip from long range.

The one bright team statistic of the day was the Explorers' efficiency at the free throw line. They made their first 11 straight, and finished 11-for-12 at the charity stripe, a marked improvement for the squad. Alston went 6-for-7, Owens a perfect 4-for-4 and Indigo Dickens added one on a traditional three-point play.

The Explorers now head on the road for a long stretch that includes two tournaments and the first two Atlantic 10 contests. They take on Florida International on Friday (12/20) at 4:30 PM in the Gator Holiday Classic in Gainesville, Fla., and will then play either host Florida or Tennessee State on Saturday. After the holiday, the Explorers travel to Dartmouth for a two-game tournament on 12/29-30, before opening Atlantic 10 play at Rhode Island on Jan. 2. They follow up with a game at George Mason on Jan. 4, before returning home on Jan. 8.