Women's Basketball | December 20, 2019
PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle women's basketball team (6-5) continues Philadelphia Big 5 play on Saturday, welcoming the Villanova Wildcats (4-5) to Tom Gola Arena. Tipoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. or approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of the men's basketball game. The Big 5 bout will stream on ESPN+.
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS:
- After its best starts since 2006-07 at 6-1, La Salle has dropped its last four games with losses to Navy, Penn, Rider, and Drexel. The team's six wins match its total from a season ago.
- Freshmen and sophomores are accounting for 62.2% of the Explorers' points. Of the 62.2%, 53.5% come from the team's top four scorers - freshman Claire Jacobs, sophomore Kayla Spruill, freshman Jordon Lewis, and freshman Amy Jacobs.
- La Salle has four student-athletes scoring at least 6.6 point per game this season, led by rookie Claire Jacobs with 9.7. Kayla Spruill (8.5), Jordon Lewis (7.6), and Amy Jacobs (6.6) round out the quartet.
- Senior Shalina Miller sits atop the team in rebounding (7.6 rpg) and blocking (2.3 bpg).
- Collectively, the Blue & Gold are pacing the A-10 in rebounds and ranks 33rd in the nation.
- The Explorers sit second in the league in blocks (55) and blocks per game (5.0).
- La Salle is second in the conference in just about every category related to three pointers, including three-point field goals made (87), per game (7.9), attempted (276), and defense (26.6%).
- Senior Shalina Miller is seven rebounds shy of corralling 500 career boards. Once she hits that mark, Miller will be just the third player in program history to register 500 points, 500 rebounds, and 100 blocks. She'd be joining Amy Griffin '18 and Suzi McCaffrey '86.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS:
- Villanova enters play at 4-5 and hasn't played since it lost to Temple on December 10.
- The Wildcats are averaging 60.2 points per game this season, led by redshirt-freshman Madison Siegrist (19.9 ppg) and senior Mary Gedaka (17.0 ppg).
- Siegrist nears a double-double on average, adding 8.1 rpg to her stat line.
THE SERIES:
- Villanova holds the all-time record in the series, 39-9, including 22-5 inside Tom Gola Arena.
- Last season's game ended with the Wildcats claiming the victory, 81-68.
- The Blue & Gold's last victory over the Wildcats came on Nov. 14, 2008 - 67-62 OT.
- The last inside Gola was Dec. 1, 1999 - 75-65.
