PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle women's basketball squad returns home on Sunday to host Charlotte at 1 p.m. The Explorers will honor their four seniors in a pre-game Senior Day ceremony.

Charlotte 49ers (21-4, 10-1 Atlantic 10) @ La Salle Explorers (8-18, 4-7 Atlantic 10)
Tom Gola Arena | Philadelphia, Pa.
Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013 | 1:00 p.m.

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The Match-Up

The Explorers and 49ers meet up for the eighth time in the series history, with the 49ers owning a 5-2 advantage. The Explorers upset Charlotte two seasons ago at Tom Gola Arena, edging the 49ers 85-84. Charlotte won last year, 77-66. Former Explorer Jada Payne led the Explorers with 18 points, Alexis Scott added 17 and Brittany Wilson chipped in 15 in last year's matchup.

Scouting the Explorers

La Salle looks to bounce back from a 68-31 loss at Saint Joseph's on Wednesday night. Shanel Harrison led the Explorers with 12 points and eight rebounds.

Harrison, the reigning Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week, has averaged 16.8 points per game in the last nine games. She has stepped up her game since the Atlantic 10 portion of the schedule began, ranking in the top 20 in the conference in four categories in league play. She has averaged 15.1 points per game against A-10 opponents, ranking her fifth. She has also pulled down 7.3 rebounds (16th), snagged 2.4 steals (T-6th) and pulled down 2.8 offensive rebounds per game (13th).

Ebonee Jones is another offensive threat for the Explorers. She also ranks in the top 20 in the Atlantic 10 in scoring, averaging 11.3 ppg in league games this season (10.3 ppg overall). She also ranks sixth in the A-10 in free throw percentage in league games, going 80.5 percent from the charity stripe.

As a team, the Explorers score 53.9 ppg while yielding 62.4 to opponents. The team ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 in blocked shots (4.8 bpg) and offensive rebounds (14.7 rpg), and in the top half (8th) in steals with 8.2 per game.

Scouting the 49ers

Charlotte has put together a blistering 21-4 record including 10-1 in league play, with their only A-10 loss coming at the hands of Fordham in the conference opener. The 49ers have won 10 straight since then.

Charlotte's latest win was on Wednesday when the 49ers topped Massachusetts 79-60. Four players hit double figures, led by Ny Hammonds' game-high 17 points. Jennifer Hailey recorded a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The 49ers boast a pair of players averaging double-doubles. Hailey leads the squad with 15.5 points per game and 12.0 rebounds per game. Her 15.5 ppg ranks her fourth in the Atlantic 10, while she leads the league in rebounding. She also records 2.8 blocks, which is second in the A-10, and hits 50.5 percent of her field goals for third in the league. Amanda Dowe ranks second in the Atlantic 10 with 11.1 rebounds per game while scoring 10.7 ppg.

Ny Hammonds adds 10.3 ppg and leads the Atlantic 10 by dishing out 6.8 assists per outing. Hillary Sigmon chips in 9.8 ppg, and ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 with a 37.9 percent clip from three-point range.

The 49ers score 66.5 ppg, limiting opponents to 55.7. As a team, they rank second in scoring offense, rebounding margin and blocked shots while leading the A-10 in offensive rebounds.

Next Up

The Explorers close out the home portion of the schedule on Wednesday (2/27) when they host Duquesne at 7 p.m.