The Brown & White

The women's basketball team defeated the La Salle University Explorers 58-47 on Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia.

The Mountain Hawks improve to 5-1 overall with the win, while the Explorers fall to 1-5.

Junior guard Erica Prosser led the Hawks with 17 points and had three rebounds and two assists.

Senior guard Alex Ross added nine points and three rebounds, while sophomore forward Emily Gratch chipped in with eight points and four rebounds.

The Explorers were led by sophomore guard Nadia Duncan, who had a game-high 20 points to go along with eight rebounds.

Head Coach Sue Troyan said she was pleased with the way her team fought back to win the game.

"It's a really good win for us," Troyan said. "We didn't play well in the first half, but in the second half we were able to dictate the tempo that was much more to our liking."

The Hawks shot 32 percent from the field in the first half, but in the second half, they were able to turn it around and increase their shooting percentage to 41 percent.

Gratch said the team started the game with a lack of intensity.

"We weren't running the floor well and we weren't hustling, but we were able to pick up the pace and play much better defense as the game went on," Gratch said.

After the teams traded baskets for the first 12 minutes of the game, the Explorers went on an 8-2 run to take a 27-14 lead with 2:10 left in the half. The Hawks trailed 29-20 at halftime.

Prosser said the Hawks failed to execute their goals in the first half.

"We played into their game plan," Prosser said. "We played much slower than what Lehigh basketball is about."

Lehigh came out fired up in the second half, and took the lead on a Prosser three-pointer to go up 37-35. Prosser's jumper sparked an 11-0 run, and the Hawks took a 45-35 lead with 8:01 left to play.

After the Explorers went on a 9-4 run to pull within five with 5:04 to play, the Hawks were able to settle down and clinch the victory. A layup by Gratch sparked a 9-3 Lehigh run to finish the game.

Senior guard Tricia Smith was happy with her team's relentless attitude during the game.

"We could've given up, but we didn't," Smith said. "Even though our perimeter shots weren't falling, we kept shooting until we made them. We never let up."

The Hawks shot only 37 percent from the field overall. They made only 2 of 13 three-pointers.

Troyan said the win is a huge confidence-builder for her team considering the ups and downs they had during the game.

"Our guards came up big for us, especially Erica in displaying her leadership during the game," Troyan said. "But I was very happy with how well our kids adjusted defensively in the second half."

Gratch said her team needs to be ready to play no matter what the circumstances.

"We obviously didn't play our best," Gratch said. "If we learn to concentrate on playing as a team, we can go far."

Prosser said the team showed a lot of character in battling back from a rough start.

"I'm very happy that we were able to fight back and get the win," Prosser said. "We were able to adjust and play at the tempo we're used to playing at."

Smith said the Hawks need to learn how to stay in the game mentally for the entire game.

"We started the game sluggish, but we really picked up the intensity in the second half," Smith said. "Now we need to learn to bring that same intensity for 40 minutes every single game. Learning to consistently communicate with each other will also be important."

Troyan said it is important that her team continues to improve as the season moves on.

"We need to continue to develop depth and get better on both sides of the ball," Troyan said. "We still have a lot of growing to do."

Troyan also said her team will not be able to approach games against tougher opponents with the sloppy attitude they had against LaSalle.

Gratch said the team has the potential to do great things this season.

"Continuing to develop chemistry between each other will help us to do that," Gratch said.

The Hawks return to action Saturday night when they take on the Villanova University Wildcats at Stabler Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.