PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The La Salle women's basketball team never trailed by more than four in the early minutes of the game, but a 14-3 run in the second half gave the Explorers the push they needed to defeat the Leopards 73-52 on Tuesday night.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Lafayette put up four points before Claire Jacobs hit the bucket from deep to put La Salle on the board. A layup from Kayla Spruill followed by a jumper from Jaye Haynes gave the Explorers the 4-0 run it needed to take a three-point lead over the Leopards with seven minutes remaining in the frame. The rest of the quarter saw four lead changes with the Explorers holding a one-point advantage over the Leopards at the end of the frame, 14-13.
• A 14-3 run comprised of seven points from Spruill, two from Amy Jacobs and Claire Jacobs apiece and three from Julie Jekot gave La Salle the advantage it needed pull ahead of Lafayette indefinitely. The Explorers held the Leopards to just nine points in the second quarter, securing 23 of their own to take a 15-point lead heading into the second half.
• A 10-0 run starting off with back-to-back Amy Jacobs 3-pointers through the first four minutes of the third put La Salle up by 23 points. Molly Masciantonio converted a turnover into two points at the 1:45 mark to give the Explorers its largest lead of the game, 28 points.
• The Leopards held the 19-14 advantage in the final frame shooting 42.1% from the field and 33.3% from deep, but couldn't come closer than 17 points of the lead ultimately losing the contest, 73-52.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Spruill paced the Explorers with a team-high 21 points on 7-of-11 from the field, 3-of-5 from deep and 4-of-4 from the line. She added a team-high nine boards, six of which were offensive.
• Haynes and Amy Jacobs finished the night in double-figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
• Kenya Cote-Lysius led the defensive rebounding effort for La Salle pulling down a team-high six defensive boards.
• La Salle out-rebounded its opponent on the offensive side 15-10.
• The Explorers won the turnover battle, 25-10, marking their highest margin of the season.
• The Explorers dominated from deep going 11-of-35 from the line while the Leopards went 3-of-10.

 
GAME NOTES:

• Spruill tops her season-high scoring effort and marks her first 20-point effort of the season (21 points).  
• Amy Jacobs' scoring effort marks a new season-high for the junior and is her first double-digit effort of the season (11 points).
• Cote-Lysius had a career-high rebounding (6 rebounds) performance, more than doubling her previous high.
• Claire Jacobs' helping hand led to a new career-high in assists (6 assists).
• La Salle's 28-point lead in the third quarter marks its largest of the season. The 73-52 victory also marks its largest margin of victory this season, 21 points.
• The Explorers continue to hold the advantage in the overall series against the Leopards 9-4. The victory marks the first under head coach Mountain MacGillivray.

 
UP NEXT:

• The Explorers hit the road for their first out-of-state trip of the season as they visit Lexington, Kentucky to take on the Wildcats on Saturday, Nov. 27 at 8:30 p.m.