Women's Basketball | February 17, 2021
PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle women's basketball team heads to VCU and Richmond for its last road trip of the regular season. The Explorers will take on the Rams on Thursday at 6 p.m. and the Spiders on Saturday at 2 p.m. Both games will stream nationally on ESPN+.
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS:
- La Salle returned to the win column in its most recent game, taking down Davidson 55-46. The win signaled the Explorers' seventh win in the last 11 games.
- The Blue & Gold are led by sophomore Claire Jacobs on the offensive side of the ball with 16.1 ppg. Her scoring output is good enough for fifth in the Atlantic 10. She's registered 15 points or more in 14 of her 19 games this season, with 10+ in 27 of her last 29, including 13 straight. Jacobs is the reigning Big 5 Player of the Week after she tallied a season best 27 points, five rebounds, and five steals at Davidson.
- Junior Kayla Spruill is second in scoring (13.7) and first in rebounding (5.4). The Baltimore, Md. native is shooting a team best 50.7% from the floor and a conference high 47.5% from long range. Since returning to the lineup from injury against St. Bonaventure, Spruill has recorded nine straight double-digit scoring performances for a 17.1 ppg output. During the span, she's connected on 55.8% of her shots and 51.4% from deep.
- Junior Molly Masciantonio rounds out the top three scorers for La Salle at 8.1 points per game. Since joining the DI ranks this season, she's been extremely consistent with at least seven points in 16 of her 20 games.
- Senior Kate Hill hasn't missed a beat after finishing fifth in the nation last season in assist to turnover ratio. Hill leads the Atlantic 10 in that category at 3.5 and sits fifth in the country. She's also second in the league and 25th nationally with 91 assists.
- La Salle leads the league in assists, free throw attempts, free throws made, steals, three-point field goals attempted, and three-point field goals made. The Explorers sit in the top three league-wide in free throw percentage, rebounds, steals per game, three-point field goal defense, three-point field goals per game, turnover margin, and turnovers forced.
SCOUTING THE RAMS:
- VCU enters play 9-9 overall and 7-4 in the A-10 under seventh year head coach Beth O'Boyle. After a three-game win streak, the Rams have lost their last two.
- The squad has three double digit scorers on average in Taya Robinson (13.5), Tera Reed (12.0), and Sarah Te-Biasu (10.7).
- VCU has outpaced its opponents 64.2 to 62.6 this season, despite being outshot.
- The Rams are the only team in the league with a better turnover margin (+3.6) than La Salle.
SERIES HISTORY – VCU:
- The Blue & Gold hold the all-time record 5-3 after the Rams have taken the past two matchups.
- La Salle's last victory came during the 2017-18 season at home; however, the Explorers haven't won on the road since 2014-15.
SCOUTING THE SPIDERS:
- Under the direction of second year head coach Aaron Roussell, Richmond is 10-6 overall and 7-4 in league play. Like VCU, the Spiders are fresh off losses to Saint Louis and Dayton. They'll play Saint Joseph's on Thursday.
- Richmond has six players contributing at least 6.0 points per game this season, led by Kate Klimkiewicz (12.8) and Addie Budnik (12.1).
- The Spiders shoot 41.3% overall and 31.9% from three-point land.
SERIES HISTORY – RICHMOND:
- Richmond is 23-7 against La Salle in the all-time series, with wins in the last six contests.
- La Salle's last victory over the Spiders was on the road during the 2016-17 season.
