PHILADELPHIA - After closing out the 2012 calendar year with three straight wins, the La Salle women's basketball squad heads to Rutgers on Wednesday night in search of a fourth straight W.

La Salle Explorers (4-9) @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-4)
Rutgers Athletic Center | Piscataway, N.J.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013 | 7:30 p.m.

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The Match-Up

Rutgers owns a 4-2 advantage in the series that dates back to 1975. La Salle won the first two meetings. The Scarlet Knights, ranked #15 at the time, visited Tom Gola Arena last season and despite a strong Explorer effort, came away with the 61-48 decision. Former guard Alexis Scott led the Explorers with 18 points, while former Rutgers guard Khadijah Rushdan led all with 20 points.

Scouting the Explorers

The Explorers got out to 19-5 lead and led wire-to-wire to pick up their third consecutive win on Saturday against Saint Peter's. Brittany Wilson and Ebonee Jones each poured in 16 points to lead all scorers, and Jordan Mosley added 10 to round out double figure scorers. Karynda DuPree chipped in seven points and led all players with a career-best nine rebounds while adding two steals and a blocked shot.A total of nine different Explorers got on the scoreboard.
 
They recorded a number of season highs in the win, including 26 field goals and nine 3-pointers. They also dished out a season-best 18 assists.

Wilson continues to lead the Atlantic 10 in scoring, averaging 18.8 points per game. Her 6.6 rebounds per game is best on the team and also ranks in the top 20 in the league.

Jones has been the story of late, however, averaging 16.7 points in the last three games including a career-high 22 at Central Connecticut State on Dec. 19. In the three-game span, she has shot 47.4 percent (18-38) from the field. With her hot shooting the past few games, Jones upped her scoring average to 10.2 ppg on the season, while chipping in 4.5 rebounds.

Shanel Harrison rounds out the top three scorers, adding 9.2 ppg, and is second on the team with 6.1 boards per game.

Scouting the Scarlet Knights

Rutgers is wrapping up its nonconference schedule, having gone 8-4 so far and looking to extend an eight-game home winning streak. One streak was already snapped, as the Scarlet Knights saw their five-game winning streak come to an end at #13/15 Tennessee on Sunday. Freshman Kahleah Copper came off the bench to lead the team with 13 points and senior Erica Wheeler added 11 in the squad's 66-47 loss to the Lady Vols.

The squad is undefeated at the RAC this year, most recently trouncing Stony Brook 72-44 on Dec. 21.

Monique Oliver is the lone Scarlet Knight averaging double figures, coming in at 12.1 ppg. She also leads on the boards, pulling down 5.3 rebounds per game. Wheeler is second with 9.8 ppg and Chelsey Lee chips in 7.8.

The team is limiting opponents to just over 50 points per game while scoring 57.8.

Next Up

The Explorers wrap up the nonconference season on Monday when they visit Richmond at 7 p.m. The contest against the Spiders this season does not count for the Atlantic 10 standings as Richmond was rotated out for this season in the new A-10 scheduling format.