Women's Basketball | December 1, 2020

PHILADELPHIA – After a tough start to the 2020-21 season, the La Salle women's basketball team (0-1) heads on the road for the first time this year as it travels to Monmouth (0-1) on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. bout with the Hawks in West Long Branch, N.J. The game will stream nationally on ESPN+.
 
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS:
- La Salle fell in its season opener in Monday night, 95-66, against Towson.
- Rookie Jaye Haynes shined in her collegiate debut with 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including 1-of-2 from long range and 5-of-6 from the line.
- Senior Haleigh Hill also had a career day against the Tigers as she scored 10 points and corralled six boards.
- Junior Kayla Spruill neared a double-double in her first performance on the year with nine points and a team high seven rebounds.
- In total, nine of the 10 Explorers to make an appearance scored, including first time points for junior Molly Masciantonio, who transferred from Holy Family, and rookies Haynes and Morgan Adams.
- The squad is shooting 30.7% from the floor, 26.7% from long range, and 85.7% from the line.
 
SCOUTING THE HAWKS:
- Monmouth enters play at 0-1 after falling to Rutgers, 82-38, to start the season.
- Head coach Jody Craig is in her fourth season at the helm of the program.
- Five different Hawks scored five or more points against the Scarlet Knights, led by Jania Hall with eight.
- Collectively, Monmouth is shooting 31.7% overall, 38.5% from three-point range, and 41.2% from the stripe.
 
SERIES HISTORY:
- La Salle holds the all-time record against Monmouth, 4-1, dating back to 1981.
- The Blue & Gold are 2-1 on the road and won the most recent matchup, which was in N.J., 65-60 in 2015.
 
OH, WHAT A YEAR!
- The 2020-21 season will be unlike any other due to the COVID-19 pandemic. La Salle has already had four schedule changes with the postponement of the Howard game, cancellation of the Coppin State game, and the additions of both the Towson/Monmouth games. Due to the pandemic, this is the latest the Explorers have started a season since 1994-95 (Dec. 1).
 
EXPLORERS IN ROAD OPENERS
- All-time, La Salle is 30-18 in road openers over the course of its history, including the season opener in 1983-84 against Monmouth. In that game, the Blue & Gold claimed a 67-66 victory. Head coach Mountain MacGillivray is 1-1 in road openers.
 
ROBBING THE CRADLE
- Collectively, the Explorers enter the 2020-21 season with 13 of 15 student-athletes with two years or less of DI experience and an average age of 19.3. La Salle is tied with Oral Roberts and Incarnate Wood for the youngest average team age in the nation.
 
UNITED AS ONE
- During the 2020-21 season, the Explorers will be wearing a 'United As One' patch on their jerseys as a sign of unity amid the national injustices regarding race relations in the country.
 
FAMILIAR FOE
- Prior to taking the reins at 20th & Olney, head coach Mountain MacGillivray spent the previous nine seasons at Quinnipiac. The Bobcats and Hawks battled often as conference foes in the NEC and now MAAC. During his tenure in Hamden, Conn., MacGillivray's teams were 16-5 against MU, including 3-0 against current Hawks' head coach Jody Craig. MacGillivray also coached current Monmouth assistant coach Jacinda Dunbar while he was at QU from 2009-12.
 
CLOSING IN ON 500
- After her nine-point performance against Towson, junior Kayla Spruill is just two points shy of reaching the 500-point plateau in her career.
 
FIRST TIME, ALL SHINE
- Rookie Jaye Haynes shined in her collegiate debut against Towson. The Fort Washington, Pa. native scored a team high 16 points, going 5-of-11 from the floor, 1-of-2 from long range, and 5-of-6 from the stripe.
 
GETTING OUR FEET WET
- Junior Molly Masciantonio made her DI debut against Towson after sitting out the 2019-20 season due to NCAA transfer rules. The Holy Family transfer was joined by rookies Morgan Adams and Jaye Haynes. All three scored their first points in the big leagues.