Women's Basketball | December 31, 2020

PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle women's basketball team (3-3, 0-0 A-10) is set to begin Atlantic 10 play his weekend with a battle against Rhode Island (0-4, 0-1 A-10) on Friday at 6 p.m. and a matchup vs. Massachusetts (5-1, 1-0 A-10) on Sunday at 2 p.m. Both games will stream nationally on ESPN+.
 
Due to COVID-19, the Atlantic 10 had to rearrange the season pairings that were previously announced and expanded the conference schedule from 16 to 18 games. The 2020-21 conference schedule will see each team play 18 games for the first time in league history and will feature a travel partner format that reduces travel by providing two opponents per regionalized road trip. The format has games being played on Fridays and Sundays throughout the season.
 
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS:

• La Salle is back in the win column after a dominant win at Coppin State this past Monday, 75-49. A total of 11 players recorded a point in the game, led by sophomore Claire Jacobs with a season high 26 points.
• Jacobs leads the Explorers in scoring with 17.6 ppg. The preseason Atlantic 10 Second Team member is connecting on 45.3% of her shots, 40% from long range, and 85.7% from the line. She has now scored 16+ points in all but one game this season, including 10 or more in 14 of her last 15. Jacobs also leads the team in steals with 12 (2.4 spg) and is second on the team with 4.6 rebounds per outing.
• Junior Molly Masciantonio is second on the team averaging 9.5 ppg on 37.9% from the field and 31.0% from three-point land. The DII transfer has recorded 10 or more points in three of her six games and seven or more in each.
• Junior Kayla Spruill (8.5 ppg) and sophomore Jordon Lewis (7.4 ppg) round out the Explorers top four scorers. Spruill also paces the team in rebounding with 5.3 per game.
• Senior Kate Hill continues to lead the team in assists with 4.0 per game and an assist to turnover ratio of 3.43. These totals rank her sixth and third in the league, respectively, and 136^th and 24^th in the nation.
• Collectively, the Explorers are scoring 67.5 ppg on 36.8% from the field, 31.0% from deep, and 77.5% from the free throw line.
• The Blue & Gold currently lead the Atlantic 10 in free throw percentage (77.5%), three-point defense (26.8%), and three-point field goals per game (8.8). Nationally, these rank 21^st, 79^th, and 28^th, respectively.
• La Salle holds a +3.50 turnover margin (2^nd in A-10) and force 19.5 turnovers on average (3^rd in A-10). 

SCOUTING THE RAMS:

• Rhode Island is 0-4, 0-1 A-10 under second year head coach Tammi Reiss.
• The Rams boast three double-digit point scorers in Emmanuelle Tahane (15.0), Johanna Muzet (13.3), and Marie-Paule Foppossi (12.0). Both Tahane and Muzet have started all four games this season, and Foppossi the first two.
• Tahane and Muzet are also the team's top two rebounders at 7.0 and 7.5 per outing, respectively.
• Rhody is only scoring 58.8 points per game this season and allowing its opponents 71.5.
• The group is shooting 44.0% overall, 33.3% from deep, and 63.8% from the line.
• Rhode Island is last in the league field goal percentage defense (50.9%) and three-point field goal defense (40.3%).
• The Rams will have had a 21-day gap since they last played a game (Dec. 11 loss to Maine – 61-47).

SCOUTING THE MINUTEWOMEN:

• UMass enters play at 5-1 overall and 1-0 in league play after a win over Rhode Island.
• Head coach Tory Verdi is in his fifth year at the helm of the program.
• Of the nine players to make an appearance this season, Sam Breen (19.7), Sydney Taylor (19.0), and Destiny Philoxy (10.5) are averaging double figure totals.
• Breen leads the squad in rebounding with 8.3 per game and Philoxy leads the squad with 8.3 assists per outing.
• Philoxy's average ranks first in the league and second in the nation.
• Collectively, the squad is scoring 75.2 ppg and allows opponents 63.2.
• The Minutewomen are shooting a league best 47.1% from the field and add 37.3% from long range and 62.3% from the charity stripe.
• UMass is the only team in the conference with a better turnover margin than the Explorers at 4.67.
• Massachusetts will have last played a game 21 days prior when it defeated St. John's 63-61 on Dec. 13.

SERIES HISTORY – RHODE ISLAND:

• La Salle is 29-7 all-time against the Rams, including 13-3 inside Tom Gola Arena.
• The Explorers have claimed the last two matchups and four of the last five. 

SERIES HISTORY – MASSACHUSETTS:

• The Minutewomen hold the advantage all-time, 20-13, including the last three meetings.
• La Salle's last win over UMass came during the 2016-17 season when the Explorers took the season sweep – Jan. 25 68-64 and Feb. 19 57-52.