Women's Basketball | December 13, 2018

PHILADELPHIA – After picking up its first win of the season against Norfolk State, the La Salle women's basketball team (1-8) looks to make it two in a row as the Explorers host St. John's (6-3) in a Saturday matinee at Tom Gola Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. with the game airing on ESPN+.
 
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS:

• After dropping the first eight games of the season, La Salle won its first game of the year in its most recent game against Norfolk State. The Explorers topped the Spartans, 62-52 at Tom Gola Arena. The win marked the first of head coach Mountain MacGillivray's career.
• In the game, four scorers registered in double figures, led by sophomore Michelle Nicholls with 17 points and junior Shalina Miller with 14 points. Miller added 10 rebounds to complete the double-double. Sophomore Deja King (13 points) and senior Jeryn Reese (12 points) also finished with double digits.
• For the third straight game, La Salle finished with a positive turnover margin. Over the course of those three games, the Explorers have a +26 turnover margin, averaging 13.3 give ups and 22 take aways per contest.
• After averaging 13.0 points over the last two game, King leads the team in scoring with 8.1 points per game. Miller paces the team with 6.1 rebounds per contest.
• Pacing the Atlantic 10 in steals and steals/game, the Explorers are snagging 9.9 on average this season.

SCOUTING THE RED STORM:

• St. John's heads into Saturday's game with a 6-3 record, most recently falling to Florida State in Queens, 57-53. The Red Storm have played a tough schedule thus far in 2018, taking on two programs receiving national recognition in UConn and Florida State.
• The Red Storm currently rank 30^th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 54.1 points per game, while also sitting 13^th in the country in turnovers per game with 12.7.
• Offensively, St. John's is averaging 62 points per contest this season, being led by Qadashah Hoppie (12.4) and Alisha Kebbe (10.4).

THE SERIES:
Saturday's contest between the Explorers and Red Storm will be just the third meeting between the two programs. The overall series is knotted at one game apiece, with La Salle claiming the first contest in 2001, while St. John's took the most recent victory, 66-45, in 2011.