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Women's Basketball Home Opener Set For Saturday Vs. Howard

wbb sophomores 2014-15

Women's Basketball | November 21, 2014

PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle women's basketball squad opens the home portion of its schedule on Saturday as the Explorers host Howard in a nonconference tilt starting at 4 pm. Saturday's game is part of a doubleheader, with the Explorer men tipping off the twin bill at 12:30 against Saint Peter's. 

La Salle Explorers (0-2) vs. Howard Bison (0-2)
Saturday, November 22| 4:00 PM | Tom Gola Arena

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Game Notes
La Salle | Howard

Video Stream
The La Salle/Howard game will be streamed live on GoExplorers.TV. To access the video stream, click here or on the Live Video link above.

All-Time Series
La Salle and Howard have met five times previously, with the Explorers owning a 4-1 advantage in the series. The two squads last met in 2003, and the Explorers dominated the Bison 70-49. Howard's lone win was a 78-63 triumph on Feb. 7, 1982.

Scouting the Explorers
The Explorers are looking to move past a tough showing at Penn on Wednesday when the squad dropped a 57-29 game at the Palestra. Siobhan Beslow led the Explorers with seven points, five of those on a 5-for-6 performance at the free throw line. The team was without the services of Alicia Cropper, who is listed as day-to-day.

With Cropper in the lineup at Temple last Friday, the Explorers put up 72 points in the 75-72 season opening loss to the Owls at the Liacouras Center. She scored 16 points in that contest.

Through two games, Micahya Owens is averaging 10.0 ppg and Beslow rounds out the top three with an 8.5 ppg average. Amy Griffin is leading the Explorer freshmen with 6.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg in her first two collegiate games, and earned her first start at Penn on Wednesday.

The Explorers have shot 31.6 percent from the field through two games, and 25.9 from three-point range. That includes a 7-for-16 outing from long range at Temple.

Cropper was selected to the Atlantic 10 Preseason Second Team after earning Second Team honors in 2013-14. She is the team's leading returning scorer after draining 14.7 ppg last season. Owens, an All-Rookie selection last season, averaged 13.7 ppg in 2013-14.

The Explorers were selected to finish eighth in the expanded 14-team Atlantic 10, based on a vote of the league's head coaches at the preseason media day.

Scouting the Bison
Howard is also in search of its first win, as the Bison dropped an 83-49 decision at 13th-ranked North Carolina in the season opener before falling 78-68 to New Hampshire on Tuesday. Saturday's game against the Explorers marks the first of back-to-back Atlantic 10 opponents for the Bison, which host Duquesne on Tuesday.

Te'Shya Heslip and Cheyenne Brown have provided most of the offensive production in the first two games. Brown opened the season with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds against the Tar Heels and is averaging 12.0 ppg and 6.5 rpg. Heslip poured in 32 points in the loss to UNH, and is averaging 20.0 ppg and 5.5 rpg through two. She has also added a team-best three steals.

The Bison are shooting 37.2 percent while allowing opponents to hit 44.2 from the field. They have also committed 36 turnovers to their opponents' 23 miscues.

Heslip and Victoria Gonzales were both named to the All-MEAC Preseason Second Team. Heslip led the team in four categories last season, including scoring (13.4 ppg), rebounding (5.5 rpg), assists (4.7 apg) and steals (2.6 spg). Gonzales averaged 11.1 ppg and 5.0 rpg last season, and recorded a team-best 48 blocked shots. The Bison went 11-20 overall last season, but were picked in the MEAC preseason poll to finish fifth in the 13-team league this season. The squad returns four of its five starters from last year, which was Head Coach Tennille Adams' first season in DC.

Bison assistant coach Tenicha Gittens will return to Tom Gola Arena. Gittens is a former Director of WBB Operations at La Salle, and was at 20th and Olney in the 2010-11 season.

Next Up
The Explorers remain at home, hosting Manhattan in a noon tilt on Tuesday. The squad welcomes local elementary school students to the midday game.
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Players Mentioned

Siobhan Beslow

#2 Siobhan Beslow

F
5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
Alicia Cropper

#14 Alicia Cropper

G
5' 7"
Redshirt Senior
Micahya Owens

#34 Micahya Owens

F
5' 11"
Sophomore
Amy Griffin

#21 Amy Griffin

G/F
6' 1"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Siobhan Beslow

#2 Siobhan Beslow

5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
F
Alicia Cropper

#14 Alicia Cropper

5' 7"
Redshirt Senior
G
Micahya Owens

#34 Micahya Owens

5' 11"
Sophomore
F
Amy Griffin

#21 Amy Griffin

6' 1"
Freshman
G/F