Box score (PDF)

PHILADELPHIA - Though Saint Joseph's led from wire-to-wire, the La Salle women's basketball team played a close game in a 64-52 Atlantic 10 and Big 5 setback to the Hawks at Tom Gola Arena on Sunday evening in a game televised nationally.

Alicia Cropper drained a game-high 17 points while adding three rebounds and three assists. Leeza Burdgess recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds, leading all players on the boards.

The Explorers (9-9, 4-2 Atlantic 10, 0-4 Big 5) played most of the game without starting point guard Khristin Lee, who took a hard fall early in the contest and was transported to the hospital for further testing. Lee had two points and a rebound in seven minutes of play.

The Hawks (14-4, 3-2 Atlantic 10, 4-0 Big 5) had four players reach double figures, led by Sarah Fairbanks' 16 points off the bench. Natasha Cloud added 14 points, nine rebounds and a game-high nine assists, while Erin Shields and Ilze Gotfrida chipped in 10 apiece.

The two squads went toe-to-toe early on, trading baskets to a 6-6 tie through the first 5:44 until the Hawks put together back-to-back buckets for a 10-6 score at 13:29.

Cropper came out after Lee's injury to drain a three and draw within one and Burdgess hit a free throw at 7:53 to again draw within one, but that was the closest the Explorers would get. Two Shields free throws sparked an 11-0 run as the Hawks took a 25-13 lead and an eventual 31-20 halftime score.

Gotfrida drained a jumper in the paint out of the halftime break to put the visitors up 13, but an 8-0 Explorer run drew the team within five at 33-28. Cropper swished a layup, follwed by a Burdgess layup off a Hawk turnover. Jasmine Alston hit the second of two free throws and Owens added a fastbreak layup. Alston iced the run by making the first of two free throws at the 16:00 mark.

Fairbanks broke up the Explorer momentum with a layup at 15:46 and the Hawks responded with their own 8-0 spurt to take a 41-28 lead with 13:42 remaining. That was the largest lead the Hawks would get down the stretch.

The Explorers clawed back to within four by outscoring the Hawks 12-5 over the next six minutes, with Cropper draining seven of those points to draw within 48-44 with 7:40 on the clock.

Shields responded with a three and the Hawks pushed their lead back to double digits to put the game out of reach.

La Salle continued to struggle from the field, going 32.3 percent (21-65). Saint Joseph's, a team shooting just over 44 percent on the season, was true to form with a 45.1 percent shooting clip for the night. Both teams struggled from long range, going an identical 3-for-15. The Hawks also got helped at the free throw line, making 15 of 20 attempts. The Explorers went 7-for-13.

The Explorers return to action on Saturday (1/25) with a contest at George Washington at 2 p.m.