PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – With the lead having changed hands four times in the last four minutes of the game, La Salle women's basketball forward Kayla Spruill came up big putting up a jumper and drawing the foul to lead the Explorers to a 77-74 victory over Drexel in the team's home-opener Tuesday afternoon.
 
La Salle improves to 3-1 on the season while Drexel suffers its first loss 1-1.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Explorers opened up the quarter with a short 3-0 run before two made free throws and a layup from Drexel's Keishana Washington gave the Dragons a lead La Salle would chase after the rest of the frame. Drexel held a narrow 15-12 edge through the remainder of the frame to leas 19-5.
• La Salle trailed by as many as nine in the second quarter before two free throws from Mia Jacobs tied it up with 4:48 left to go. La Salle mounted a 12-6 run highlighted by two 3-point buckets from Charity Shears to give the Explorers a six-point lead going into the half, 42-36.
• Nine made threes from the Dragons gave Drexel a 15-14 advantage in the third quarter, but a 5-of-12 effort from the field including 3-of-4 from deep kept La Salle in it with a five-point lead, 56-51.
• La Salle pulled ahead by as many as eight in the first four minutes thanks to a Charity Shears steals turned two-point pull-up jumper in the paint, 58-51. A 15-point effort from the Dragons over the ensuing two minutes tied the score, 66-66. The remaining four minutes saw four lead changes before a jump-shot in the paint for the and one handed the Explorers the 77-74 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Spruill led the day with a season-high 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting including 2-of-4 from deep and 4-of-5 from the line.
• Claire Jacobs ended the game in double figures with 14 points from 5-of-13 shooting while going 2-of-6 from beyond the arc and 2-of-2 at the line.
• Shears and Gabby Crawford both earned double-figures with 11 points apiece.
• Spruill also led the effort around the rim pulling down five boards.
• La Salle outshot the Dragons from the field 50.9%-45.2% and the 3-point range 38.1%-21.
• Drexel held the advantage in points off turnovers (24-15), fast breaks (11-10) and second chance points (15-14). The Explorers led in points in the paint (36-30) and points off the bench (21-6).

GAME NOTES:

• The Explorers continue to lead in the all-time series 21-12. La Salle is now 15-4 when facing the Dragons at home.
• La Salle improves to 2-3 in home-openers under head coach Mountain MacGillivray.
• This is the second-straight game in which the Explorers shot over 50% from the field.
• The three-point win is the closet margin of victory for the Explorers this season.
• Shears, Spruill and Crawford are the only Explorers to have scored double-figures in three games this season.
• Spruill is the first Explorer to hit the 20-point mark this season.  

UP NEXT:

• La Salle makes the trip out west to Anchorage, Alaska for the Great Alaskan Shootout on Friday, Nov. 18 and Saturday, Nov. 19.