Women's Basketball | November 8, 2021

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The La Salle women's basketball team is set to open its 2021-22 campaign on Tuesday as the Coppin State Eagles visit Tom Gola Arena for a 5 pm. tipoff. The season-opener will air nationally on ESPN+.

SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS

• La Salle welcomes back its top three leading scorers from last season - Claire Jacobs, Kayla Spruill and Molly Masciantonio
• Junior Kayla Spruill was named to the Atlantic 10 Preseason All- Conference Second Team after leading the team in field goal percentage at 50% shooting 110-220 from the field to rank sixth overall in the conference. She led the A-10 in 3-point percentage at 43.2%. Spruill ranked sixth in scoring in the Atlantic-10 at the end of the 2020-21 season averaging 15.0 points per game.
• She's joined by junior Claire Jacobs who was named All-Conference Third Team. Jacobs became the fastest Explorer to earn 500 points in program history last year. Jacobs ranked fourth in the league in scoring at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season averaging 16.3 points per game.
• The Explorers welcome in four freshmen to the mix - Kenya Côté-Lysius, Sara Carfagno, Julie Jekot and Emilee Tahata. Junior Gabby Crawford, a transfer from Morehead State, also joins the mix for La Salle this season.
• Head coach Mountain MacGillivray is set to start his fourth year the helm of the program.
•  La Salle led the Atlantic 10 last season in free throw percentage, 76.0%, and ranked second in assists averaging 14.23 per game. La Salle ranked fourth in the league in scoring with 64.6 points per game.
• The Blue & Gold were picked to finish eighth in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Coaches' Poll.

SERIES HISTORY:

• The Explorers lead the series, 3-0, against Coppin State. La Salle and Coppin State last faced off during the 2020-21 season in Maryland on December 28, 2020 and the Explorers defeated the Eagles 75-49.
• Junior Claire Jacobs and sophomore Jaye Haynes accounted for almost half of the Explorers' points (36) the last time these two teams met.
• La Salle returns seven players and Coppin State five from the last time the two teams battled.
• The largest margin of defeat (33 points) for La Salle came in the 2019-20 season.

EXPLORERS IN SEASON OPENERS:

• All-time, La Salle is 35-14 in season openers. The Explorers started on a 28-2 run through their first 30 seasons. Since 2010, the program posts just a 3-7 record in season openers after last season's loss against Towson. Head coach Mountain MacGillivray is 1-2 entering year four.

PRESEASON POLL:

• Kayla Spruill was named to the Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference Second Team while Claire Jacobs earned All-Conference Third Team.
• La Salle was picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll.

SCOUTING COPPIN STATE:  

• Returning from last season is Alexandria Hamilton, Aliyah Lawson, Hope Evans, Nailah Delinois, and Jalynda Salley.
• The Eagles welcomed in 10 student-athletes this season including: Mossi Staples, Nadjy Tyler, Jewel Watkins, Jaia Alexander, Colleen Bucknor, Khya Jenkins and Cortney Gardner
• Lawson finished second in the conference with 14.5 points per game while ranking third with 38 3-point field goals. She also finished with 4.5 rebounds per game to go with 24 assists and 17 steals.
• Salley averaged 9.3 points per game last season while ranking fourth in the MEAC in rebounds (8.8) and seventh in blocks (18). led the conference with 4.1 offensive rebounds per game which ranked 18th nationally.