Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - With La Salle leading 46-43 with under five seconds to go, the onus was on Saint Louis to deliver. The Billikens did, knotting the game at 46-46 with 4.8 seconds to go and overtime all but certain. But Shanel Harrison was not having any of that, getting the ball on the inbounds and zipping the length of the court around Billiken defenders to launch a desperation heave at the buzzer - and sinking that attempt for three points and the 49-46 Atlantic 10 win at Tom Gola Arena on Wednesday afternoon.

The Explorer bench erupted with the basket and a mostly lackluster offensive effort from both squads was quickly a moot point.

Harrison finished with a game-high 23 points, marking the seventh straight game the senior guard has hit double figures. She is now averaging 17.1 ppg in the current seven-game stretch. She added six rebounds, two steals and an assist.

Ebonee Jones chipped in eight points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, and Siobhan Beslow led the squad with seven rebounds along with two assists and a steal.

Jacy Bradley, who tied the game with 4.8 seconds with her long three, led the Billikens (10-14, 4-5 Atlantic 10) with 17 points. Desirae Ball added 13 points, and Mallory Eggert led all players with nine rebounds while chipping in nine points.

The first half was a low-scoring affair on both ends, with Saint Louis leading the majority of the half before taking a 19-14 lead into the half. After an early 3-2 Explorer lead, the Billikens went on a 17-3 run spanning most of the half to take a 19-6 lead with 1:54 until halftime.

The Explorers (8-16, 4-5 Atlantic 10) showed signs of life before the break, rattling off an 8-0 run to draw within 19-14. Jones converted a three-point play at 1:30 and Jordan Mosley hit a triple with 54 seconds left to get the Explorers to 12 points. Harrison nailed a jumper with three seconds left to get the Explorers within five and give the squad momentum heading into halftime.

Beslow converted a three-point play 12 seconds into the second half get the Explorers within two. The Explorers flirted with a one- to- three point deficit, not getting over the hump until a Harrison three knotted the game at 26-26 at 13:07 and Karynda DuPree followed up with a layup to give the Explorers their first lead since that early 3-2 advantage.

Saint Louis regained the lead on back-to-back layups from Bradley and Ball, and after a brief tied game thanks to a Mosley jumper at 10:14, the Billikens took another lead for the next five minutes and went up 37-32.

A Harrison three-point play and a DuPree layup tied the game at 37-37 with 5:14 on the clock, and the teams traded leads until the Explorers took a one-point 44-43 lead on a Harrison jumper at 1:36.

Jones hit one of two free throws with 31 seconds left to go up 45-43 and Harrison was fouled following a Billiken turnover with 13 seconds left. She hit one of two to give the Explorers the three-point cushion.

Bradley then knotted the game at 46-46 on her lone three-pointer of the game with 4.8 seconds, setting up Harrison's buzzer-beating heroics. DuPree inbounded the ball to Harrison, who drove the length of the court around SLU defenders and swished the three to avoid overtime.

The Explorers shot 35.8 percent for the game, thanks to a 48.3 percent second-half shooting clip. Saint Louis shot 35.3 percent, including just 2-of-15 from long range.

La Salle won the turnover battle, forcing 16 Billiken miscues to 14 for the Explorers. Saint Louis, however, edged the Explorers 37-32 on the glass.

The Explorers head back on the road this weekend, looking to make it two straight with a visit to league newcomer VCU on Sunday at 1 p.m.