Women's Basketball | November 13, 2022

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – La Salle women's basketball head coach Mountain MacGillivray announced the addition of four Explorers to the 2023 signing class.
 
Aryss Macktoon, Hailey Chiles, Amber Bullard and Nicole Melious will all don the Blue & Gold next year.
 
"We are so excited about this class. We were able to add size and speed along with some serious scoring fire power," said MacGillivray. "Our La Salle community is really going to enjoy getting to know these four dynamic personalities."
 
Macktoon comes to Philadelphia from Catonsville, Maryland where she attends St. Timothy's High School. The 5-10 guard has received All-B Conference throughout her four years of playing. She is a multi-year MVP and was awarded a character coin from the Mount de Sales coach last season.
 
"I chose La Salle because it feels like a second home for me," said Macktoon. "The campus is very beautiful and is not far from the city, so the location is perfect. I love how everyone is very genuine. It makes me comfortable. I can't wait to start my next four years as an Explorer."
 
"Aryss is just different than anyone on our roster athletically. She has the ability to make an elite scorer disappear," said MacGillivray. "Aryss has a great work ethic and is very difficult for opposing defenders to stay in front of."
 
Chiles is coming up north from Greenwood South Carolina where she plays at Greenwood High School. The 6-3 center is a two-time All-Region honoree and has earned the All-State recognition. The soon-to-be freshman is a member of the Beta Club and has received the Silver Academic award. Chiles averages 17.5 points per game, 11.9 rebounds per game and 3.7 blocks per game.
 
"The reason I chose La Salle is because it really felt like home and the coaches were very down to earth," said Chiles. "I am ready to be a part of my new La Salle family."
 
"Hailey has the height and strength that really impacts our ability to dominate in the paint," said MacGillivray. "She has an imposing power game around the rim and a sweet soft touch from beyond the arc."
 
Bullard, a Philadelphia native, joins the crew at 20^th & Olney from The Christian Academy. The 6-2 center was named the academy's 2021-22 Player of the Year. During her junior season she averaged 15.6 points per game and scored a total of 296 points.
 
"La Salle was my choice because it possessed the ultimate D.E.A.L. - Diversity, Everything I looked for, Awesome atmosphere and Love for the game," said Bullard.
 
"Amber will immediately bring to the team what lost when Shalina Miller graduated," said MacGillivray. "She has an instinct to protect the rim. Amber has the talents that as a coach we can't teach. She has great hands, imposing size, she runs the floor and can finish around the rim."
 
Melious comes to the City of Brotherly Love from Staten Island, New York where she played at Susan E Wagner High School. The 5-8 guard scored 2,003 in two seasons and was named New York Player of the Year. The two-time Warren Jaques award winner was also dubbed the all-time leading scorer in the New York Martin Luther King Jr. High School Classic. She ranks second in the country in scoring and her 1,046 points in a single season set the NYS record. To date, she is the third all-time leading scorer in Staten Island and fourth all-time in New York City. She was named Player of the Game at the Barclays Center in the NYC AA Championship.
 
"I chose La Salle because being able to play closer to home and have my friends and family be able to come to games is something that is extremely important to me," said Melious.  
 
"Nicole will be the most prolific scorer ever signed by La Salle women's basketball," said MacGillivray. "Nicole is on pace to score over 3,000 points in just a little more than three high school seasons. La Salle fans are going to love watching Nicole play. She has Staten Island swagger and the skills to back it up."