PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Senior
Jazmen Boone scored a team and season-high 19 points to lead three Tribe players in double-figures, but the William and Mary women's basketball team couldn't overcome a 19-6 run by La Salle to open the second half, falling 78-71 on Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia. Sophomore
Marlena Tremba (17 points) and senior
Kyla Kerstetter (11 points) were also in double-figures for the College. With the decision the Tribe falls to 5-3, while the Explorers improve to 6-2.
In the early stages of the first half, W&M used a 6-0 run to take an early 6-2 lead. Tremba opened the scoring with a pair of free throws. Freshman Jenna Green scored the next four points for W&M, pushing the lead to 6-2.
With the score tied at 8-8, the Tribe used a 18-8 run to push its lead into to double-digits for the first time in the game. Tremba opened the run with a jumper followed by a pair of layups from Boone. Following a La Salle basket, Kerstetter had three straight points for the Green and Gold, and that was matched by a triple from Tremba. La Salle recorded two points at the free throw line, before Boone closed out the run on a 6-0 run by herself.
W&M built its lead to as many as 18 in the first half, before closing the period with a 45-31 advantage. The Green and Gold shot 51-percent from the field in the stanza. Boone led the way for W&M scoring 14 of her 19 in the first half.
La Salle scored 10 of the first 11 points of the second half, cutting the lad to 46-45 with 16:53 to play in the game. Micahya Owens scored the first five points of the half, before Sibohan Beslow and Khristin Lee combined for the next six points.
The Explorers took their first lead at 52-51, and then used an 8-2 run to build its largest lead of the game at eight points. Alicia Crooper gave the Explorers the lead with a layup followed by a basket from Lee. Following a W&M score, Jamie Alston hit a layup followed by a jumper from Amy Griffin. A triple from Cropper gave the Explorers a 61-53 lead with 11:16.
W&M answered with an 8-0 run of its own to tie the score at 61-61 with 9:14 to go. Sophomore Latrice Hunter opened the run with a layup followed by with a layup from Kerstetter. Hunter scored the next four points as she tied the game at 61.
The Explorers again built their lead to eight points at 74-66 with 2:39 to play. The Tribe had one final run in them, but could only cut the deficit to three points.
Boone finished the game with a season-high 19 points to go along with six rebounds, and a season-high five steals. Tremba continued her double-figure streak and pushed it to eight games, which is the second longest streak of her carrer, with 17 points and three steals. Kerstetter was the third Tribe player in double-figures with 11 points, four boards, and a steal.
W&M again shot the ball well in the game. The Green and Gold finished with a 45.2-pecent (28-of-62) mark from the field. W&M has shot better than 40-percent in all but two games this season.
La Salle was led by Cropper, who scored a game-high 20 points for the Explorers. Owens (15 points), Griffin (12 points), and Alston (11 points) were also in double figures for La Salle.
The College will have a 12-day layoff to focus on final exams in the coming week and a half. W&M returns to action and concludes its three-game road trip at Wofford on Thursday, Dec. 18. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. The Tribe returns home for the first time in nearly a month when they welcome Maine to Kaplan Arena on Sunday, Dec. 21. Tipoff for that contest is set for 1 p.m.
