WASHINGTON, DC --- Senior center Victoria Gonzales scored a team-high 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead a quarter of Howard women's basketball players in double figures but key Bison turnovers and strong free throw shooting for the visiting La Salle Explorers was the difference in a 71-68 Howard loss to La Salle Wednesday evening at Burr Gymnasium.

The two teams, who came into the game winless (combined 0-13), turned the game into a seesaw battle from start to finish, with the biggest lead being six points.  Howard (0-8) held a slight 34-30 lead at the half on the scoring Gonzales, junior forward Sydni Johnson, and redshirt freshman guard Essence Brown.

The Explorers (1-6) used the long ball (8-of-23 from the three-point line to counter the Bison rebounding tandem of Gonzales and sophomore guard Tajzhane Dopson, who combined for 25 rebounds alone.

The game was deadlocked at 52 at the end of the third quarter. From there, the two teams went back and forth through five lead changes and four ties. At the 1:45 mark of  the fourth quarter with the game tied at 66, LaSalle made the plays that made the difference. First, Jasmine Alston knocked down two free throws to make it it 68-66 with 1:45 remaining.  Following one of three Bison turnovers down the stretch, Alston was fouled again and with Howard in the bonus, she went to the free throw line where she again knocked down free throws to increase the La Salle lead to 70-66 with 33 ticks on the clock.

Freshman guard Shaylon Tarver then scored on a layup to narrow the margin to 70-68 with 24 second on the clock.  The Bison had chances to complete the rally but following turnovers, they were forced to foul, putting La Salle's Micahya Owens on the line to set the final margin. 

Johnson finished with 15 points while Tarver came off the bench to contribute 14 while Brown finished with 10. Dopson pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds.

LaSalle was led by Owens with 21, Andreana Miller with 15, Ebony Wells with 14 off the bench and Alston with 12.

The Bison won the rebounding battle (46-37) and the points in the paint (36-27) but they missed 11 of 26 free throws and had 24 turnovers.

NEXT UP
Howard begins MEAC play on Saturday when it travels to Greensboro, NC to take on the Lady Aggies of North Carolina A&T at 2 pm.