Women's Basketball | March 2, 2020

PHILADELPHIA – The No. 10 La Salle women's basketball team (13-16, 7-9 A-10) is looking to avenge an overtime loss to No. 7 Davidson this past Wednesday as the Explorers travel to North Carolina for an Atlantic 10 Championship First Round matchup against the Wildcats. Tuesday's game will air live on ESPN+ and tipoff at 7 p.m.
 
LA SALLE IN THE TOURNAMENT:

• The Blue & Gold are 13-20 all-time in the A-10 Championship in 20 appearances.
• Under the league's current format since 2017, La Salle is 1-3.
• All-time, the Explorers post a 9-8 record in the First Round.
• In 2015, #11 La Salle defeated #14 Davidson 74-63 for the teams' only postseason bout.

SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS:

• La Salle finished the regular season tied for ninth place overall but lost the head-to-head tiebreaker to Richmond.
• The Explorers exceeded expectations around the league, finishing four spots ahead of the preseason coaches' poll prediction of 14^th.
• The Blue & Gold post the Atlantic 10's best field goal percentage defense, holding its opponents to 36.2% from the floor. That number is good enough for 33^rd best in the nation.
• Rookie Claire Jacobs is the Explorers' leading scorer with 13.7 ppg overall and 15.4 ppg in league games. She's shooting 37.6% from the floor and 32.8% from long range. Jacobs sits 13 points shy of tying Micahya Owens' rookie record of 411 points.
• Sophomore Kayla Spruill is second on the team in scoring (10.6) and rebounding (6.2). Spruill ups her totals in Atlantic 10 games to 12.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg. The Baltimore, Md. native recorded a pair of double-doubles last week and three in her last four games.
• Freshmen Jordon Lewis (7.3) and Amy Jacobs (7.1) round out the top four scorers for the Blue & Gold. The quartet is accounting for 61.9% of La Salle's scoring this season.
• Senior Shalina Miller not only leads the team with 7.6 rpg and 2.7 bpg but is also the program's all-time shot blocker. She reset the single season record this year after claiming it last season. The Philadelphia, Pa. native is 15^th all-time in the Atlantic 10 with 192 career blocks. Miller is first in the league this season with 79 blocks and and 2.7 bpg. She ranks 11^th and 15^th in the country, respectively.
• Junior Kate Hill has started 18 of the last 20 games at point guard. Hill leads the Atlantic 10 in assist to turnover ratio at 2.86, which is sixth best in the country. She's also second in the league with 120 assists and 4.3 apg.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS:

• Davidson concluded the regular season 15-14 overall and 8-8 in league play under third year head coach Gayle Fulks.
• Suzi-Rose Deegan is the Wildcats active leading scorer (15.8 ppg) and rebounder (7.7 rpg).
• Katie Turner is second on the squad with 10.0 ppg and is the team's leader in assists per game with 4.1. 

LAST TIME THEY MET:

• La Salle and Davidson squared off for the Explorers' annual Kids Day Game last Wednesday and won 70-61.
• The Blue & Gold held a nine-point lead after three quarters. 
• The Wildcats outscored La Salle 18-9 in the fourth period to send the game into overtime.
• Despite scoring a three to open the extra frame, Davidson finished the stanza with 12 unanswered to claim the victory.
• Rookie Claire Jacobs registered 18 points and sophomore Kayla Spruill registered 11 points and 11 rebounds.
• The Wildcats had three players in double figures, led by rookie Suzi-Rose Deegan with 25. She added 15 boards for the double-double.

THE SERIES:

• After the win last week, Davidson has won three straight and leads the series 4-3. 
• The Explorers last victory over the Wildcats came on the road during the 2016-17 season.
• La Salle is 2-1 on the road against Davidson.