LORETTO, Pa. - La Salle women's basketball trailed by as many as 10 in the second quarter, but the Explorers held the advantage in the second half defeating Saint Francis 64-59 on the road Saturday night.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• La Salle got off to an early 4-0 start thanks to a Jaye Haynes fast break layup paired with a Claire Jacobs layup. Neither team found the basket in the following three minutes with Saint Francis breaking the drought with a 10-2 run to take a four-point lead over the Explorers. A Claire Jacobs 3-pointer at the 1:17 mark made the difference putting the Explorers up 11-10 at the end of the first frame.
• La Salle trailed by as many as 10 with just over two minutes remaining in the second frame, but a 7-0 run started by a Kayla Spruill 3-pointer brought the Explorers back within three points heading into the half, 25-22.
• The third quarter saw six lead changes between La Salle and Saint Francis, but it was the Explorers' three-point effort that pushed them over the edge sinking 4-of-7 from the long range to take the 44-41 lead heading into the final frame.
• An 8-0 run through the first three minutes gave La Salle its largest lead of the game, 52-43. The Red Flash tried to keep it within reach cutting the deficit to just five with four minutes remaining in the frame. The teams went 10-10 in the final two minutes with Saint Francis unable to overcome the five-point deficit falling to La Salle 64-59.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Five Explorers found success from the three-point range. Spruill, Kenya Cote-Lysius and Claire Jacobs sunk two three-pointers a piece while Haynes and Amy Jacobs each made one.
• Spruill and Claire Jacobs led the scoring effort for La Salle each earning double digits. Spruill totaled a team-high 18 points. Claire Jacobs added 15 points and pulled down a team-high five boards.
• La Salle won the turnover battle committing just nine turnovers compared to Saint Francis' 27.

GAME NOTES:

• Spruill has now recorded double-digits in seven of the last eight contests. This is the second-straight game she has shot 100% from the line going 8-for-8.
• La Salle's +18 turnover margin marks its largest of the season.
• The Explorers' nearly doubled their season-high steal total, previously set at 13, with 21 in the game.
• Cote-Lysius tied her career-high nine points and set a new career-high in three-point field goals made with two. She attempted four from deep, another new career-high for the freshman.
• Claire Jacobs tied her season-high points with 15 and her season-high rebounds with five.
• Erin Morgan's two points in the game mark her first of the season.
• Molly Masciantonio more than doubled her career-high steal total with nine in the game. She has tied the all-time single game record for most steals in a game last achieved by Jennifer McGowan in 1993. 
• La Salle continues to hold the advantage in the all-time series against the Red Flash, 2-0.
• This is the second-straight road win for the Explorers.  

UP NEXT:

• La Salle returns to Tom Gola Arena on for the first time in two weeks on Wednesday, Dec. 8 to take on UMES. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.