Women's Basketball | January 10, 2020

PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle women's basketball team (6-9, 0-2 A-10) starts a two-game road string on Saturday as it travels to Pittsburgh to take on Duquesne (10-5, 0-2 A-10). Due to renovations at the Dukes' A.J. Palumbo Center, the game will be played at nearby La Roche University. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. with the game airing live on ESPN+.
 
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS:

• La Salle enters play after dropping its last eight games, dating back to a loss at Navy on Dec. 1. On Wednesday, the Blue & Gold fell to Saint Louis, 77-61. Late in the third frame the Explorers pulled within five, however couldn't overcome the deficit.
• November was pleasant for the Explorers as they had their best start in 13 seasons at 6-1. The start included three comeback victories, including two of 16+ against Harvard and Penn State. La Salle's six wins match last season's total.
• Senior Shalina Miller is one block shy of tying the program record of 151 by Amy Griffin '18. Miller is pacing the team with 37 blocks and 2.5 blocks per game. She ranks second in the A-10 in both categories and 13^th and 21^st in the nation, respectively.
• Freshman Claire Jacobs is the Explorers leading scorer with 11.4 points per game. The Aussie is shooting 35.9% from the floor, including 35.5% from long range. She has recorded double digit point totals in eight games this season with 15+ in six outings.
• Sophomore Kayla Spruill (8.9 ppg) and freshmen Jordon Lewis (7.7 ppg), Amy Jacobs (7.7 ppg) round out La Salle's top four scorers. The quartet are accounting for 58.1% of the team's points this season.
• Junior Kate Hill has established herself as one of the best ball handlers in the country. The Rutgers transfer is leading the Atlantic 10 in assist to turnover ratio at 2.64 and ranks 14^th nationally. Since being inserted into the starting lineup against Villanova, Hill has 29 assists to five turnovers for an impressive 5.8 ratio.
• La Salle is averaging 61.6 points offensively and is allowing opponents 67.6 ppg.

SCOUTING THE DUKES:

• Duquesne is 10-5 overall and 0-2 in league play after dropping its last three contests. The Dukes are led by seventh year head coach Dan Burt.
• In its most recent game, Duquesne fell to George Washington in the nation's capital, 65-60.
• Three players are averaging 10+ points a game, led by Libby Bazelak with 13.1 ppg and Laia Sole with 13.0 ppg.
• Bazelak is shooting 48.5% from the floor and 47.8% from three-point range. She also leads the team with 6.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.
• The Dukes are scoring 72.6 points on average and giving up 68.7 points per contest.

THE SERIES:

• Duquesne holds the all-time record 20-18 in a history dating back to 1983.
• The Dukes have won the last five and 11 of the last 12, including last year's narrow win, 66-62 inside Tom Gola Arena.
• La Salle last win came on Feb. 26, 2014 in Pittsburgh, 68-63.