PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle women's basketball squad returns from the finals break this weekend, hosting a Big 5 clash with Villanova on Sunday at Tom Gola Arena. Tip off is set for 1 p.m. against the Wildcats.

Social Media
Follow the Explorers on Facebook (facebook.com/GoExplorers), Twitter (@goexplorers, @explorergameday) and Instagram (@goexplorers) and search #LaSalleWBB.

Villanova Wildcats (7-1) at La Salle Explorers (3-4)
Sunday, December 15 | 1 PM | Tom Gola Arena

Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats
Live Tweets @ExplorerGameDay | Text Alerts

Game Notes
La Salle

All-Time Series
Sunday marks the 43rd all-time meeting between La Salle and Villanova. The Wildcats own a 33-9 record in the series.

Scouting the Explorers
The Explorers shot their best game of the season against William & Mary, making over 57 percent of their shots in a 73-59 win on the road just before the finals break. Leeza Burdgess drained a career-high 20 points on 10-for-14 shooting and Siobhan Beslow went 7-for-8 at the free throw line en route to a career-best 11 points. Micahya Owens drained 19 points and is the reigning Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week.

The Explorers are tied atop the league rankings with Fordham in scoring defense, limiting opponents to just 61.1 ppg. However, the squad is 11th in scoring offense, scoring 61.9 ppg. The team has a strong offensive rebounding presence, pulling down a league-best 17.4 offensive boards per game. The Explorers pull down 41.6 total per game, limiting opponents to 36.6; the +5.0 rebounding margin ranks them third in the league.

Owens leads the squad in scoring, draining 13.7 ppg. Khristin Lee, who missed the last game with an injury, is second with 12.0 ppg. Lee is also ranked in the top 15 in the Atlantic 10 in six different categories, including leading the conference with 3.3 steals per game. Alicia Cropper, who plays more minutes (38.1) than anyone else in the A-10, chips in 11.3 ppg. Burdgess moved her scoring average into double figures, adding in 10.1 ppg along with a team-high 7.1 rebounds. Burdgess ranks 14th in rebounding and fourth with 3.4 offensive rebounds per game.

Defensively, rookie Jasmine Alston has been making some waves. She is tied for eighth in the A-10 with 2.0 steals per game. Junior Indigo Dickens continues to rank in the top 10 for blocked shots with 1.0 bpg, and Beslow is 13th with 2.6 offensive rebounds.

Scouting Villanova

The Wildcats opened the 2013-14 campaign with seven straight wins before suffering a 63-60 setback against Big 5 rival Saint Joseph's in their last game on Dec. 7. Sunday marks the second of three straight Big 5 games as the Wildcats travel up North Broad next weekend for a contest at Temple.

Four Wildcats are averaging double figures, led by Devon Kane's 12.3 ppg. Lauren Burford is scoring 10.8 ppg, Caroline Coyer adds 10.4 and Emily Leer chips in 10.0. Villanova features a well-balanced scoring attack, with three additional players averaging more than five points per outing.

Kavunaa Edwards leads Nova on the glass, pulling down a team-best 6.9 rebounds per game while chipping in 5.5 ppg.

The Wildcats have scored 69.8 ppg while limiting opponents to just 56.1. They have owned a slight advantage on the glass, outrebounding teams 38.0-37.6. They have also been effective in forcing turnovers, forcing 102 opponent miscues to just 79.

Next Up

The Explorers head back on the road for the remainder of 2013, starting at Florida on Friday (12/20) for two games in the Gator Holiday Classic.