PHILADELPHIA – After trailing for just 17 seconds to open the game, the La Salle women's basketball team (4-6, 1-3 A-10) went ahead and didn't look back as it defeated Saint Joseph's (3-1, 1-1 A-10), 81-66 on Sunday afternoon inside Tom Gola Arena. The victory is tied for the largest over the Hawks in program history with the last occurrence coming back on Jan. 22, 2006.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Saint Joseph's scored the first bucket of the game before the Explorers ripped off the next six points over a 1:18 span. SJU chipped the deficit down by a point heading into the media stoppage with a 9-8 margin. La Salle closed the frame outpacing the visitors 8-4 for a 22-15 lead. La Salle's 22 points is tied for the best start to a game this season. The Blue & Gold outshot the Hawks 63% to 35% in the period.
• The teams traded buckets to start the second frame. La Salle then took a 5-2 spurt over a 52 second span with all five coming from senior Haleigh Hill. SJU took a timeout, which turned media with the Explorers up 29-19 with 7:22 left. The home team expanded its difference with an 11-9 advantage throughout the rest of the half for a 40-28 lead at the break. La Salle connected on a perfect 4-of-4 from deep and 7-of-16 overall in the stanza.
• La Salle cruised through the first portion of the third period with a 15-6 scoring margin over the Hawks. Six different Explorers scored during the 5:21 spurt leading up to the media timeout at 4:39. The Blue & Gold ended the quarter on top of a 12-7 advantage to claim a 67-41 lead.
• The Hawks chipped away at the deficit in the final period with a 25-14 scoring advantage but the comeback was too late.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Sophomore Claire Jacobs led all scorers with 21 points and added a career best nine rebounds. Jacobs shot 63.6% (7-of-11) from the field and was a perfect 6-of-6 at the line.
• Senior Kate Hill dropped a career best 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting and handed out a season high seven assists. Hill was 3-of-4 from long range.
• Senior Deja King registered a season best 10 points and finished with a +20 scoring differential when she was on the floor.
• Junior Molly Masciantonio, senior Haleigh Hill, and rookie Jaye Haynes each contributed seven points off the bench.
• Freshmen Michelle Kozicki recorded a career best three deflections.
• Overall, La Salle shot 46.8% from the floor, 33.3% from long range, and 88.9% from the line.

GAME NOTES:

• This is the second time this season that three or more Explorers scored 10+ points (UMass 1/3).
• Ten or more players registered a point for the sixth time this year.
• La Salle's 81 points is the most under head coach Mountain MacGillivray.
• The Blue & Gold also move to 11-1 under its head man when scoring 70 or more in a game.
• La Salle's 27 third quarter points is tied for its best output in a single period this year.
• Jacobs has scored 15+ in six of nine games this season, including 20+ in three.
• Masciantonio has recorded seven or more points in all but one game this season.

UP NEXT:
La Salle will return to action on Wednesday inside Tom Gola Arena for a 6 p.m. rescheduled game against the Drexel Dragons.