WASHINGTON, D.C. –  The La Salle women's basketball team trailed by as many as 15 points in the second quarter and brought the deficit to as little as one with just over two minutes to play, but came up short dropping the contest 62-57 against Howard on Monday night.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Two made free throws from Howard put the Bison on the board to start, but the effort was quickly met with a 3-pointer from Charity Shears to give the Explorers a single-point edge. The remainder of the period saw three more lead changes before the Bison ultimately pull ahead by nine, 23-14, for a lead it wouldn't relinquish throughout the remainder of the contest.
• A series of free throws in the second frame pushed Howard to a 15-point lead, its largest of the game, over La Salle. Made free throws from Shears and Jaye Haynes paired with an Amy Jacobs deep bucket closed the gap to as little as 11, but the Bison matched the 3-point attempt to bring the gap back up to 14 at the half, 39-25.
• The Explorers began to mount a comeback in the third quarter outscoring Howard 13-10 putting together a 7-0 run highlighted by a Molly Masciantonio three to bring the deficit down to seven with 4:06 left in the quarter.
• La Salle owned the fourth frame with a 19-13 edge over the Bison. Shears spearheaded a 13-2 run for the Explorers with seven points of her own to bring the squad within one point of tying, 56-55, at the 2:51 mark. The Bison pulled ahead with a 4-0 run through the final minutes to take the 62-57 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Newcomer Charity Shears stepped onto the court for the first time in the Blue & Gold and made a splash leading the team with 14 points on 4-of-11 shooting, 3-of-9 from deep and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe.
• Amy Jacobs and Gabby Crawford both ended the night in double digits. Jacobs went 5-of-9 from the field and 2-of-5 from beyond the arc for 12 points while Crawford put up six points from the field and four from the line for 10. Both Jacobs and Crawford led the Explorers in rebounding pulling down five boards apiece.
• Masciantonio continues to serve as the team's lead helping hand with a team-high three assists.  
• The Explorers outshot the Bison from the 3-point range going 9-of-33 (27.3%) while Howard went 5-of-21 (23.8%).
• La Salle held the edge in turnovers, 5-9, and points off the bench, 15-14. Howard outscored the Explorers in the paint, 16-12, and on second chances, 18-12.

GAME NOTES:

• The Explorers starting lineup looked a bit different this season with the nod going to Molly Masciantonio, Kayla Spruill, Jaye Haynes, Amy Jacobs and Charity Shears.
• Gabriela Falcão, Emma Egan, Fiona Connolly, Mia Jacobs and Charity Shears all saw action for the first time in the Blue & Gold.
• The Explorers continue to lead the overall series against Howard, 7-4 and moves to 3-2 when visiting the Bison on their home court. La Salle now has a two-game skid in the overall series.
• La Salle is now 4-1 in season-openers under head coach Mountain MacGillivray's tenure. The team is also 1-2 when playing Howard as the opponent in a season-opener and 1-1 in season-openers on the road.

UP NEXT:

• La Salle hits the road for a two-game stretch facing Sacred Heart on Thursday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. followed by Niagara on Nov. 12 at 5 p.m.