PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – The La Salle women's basketball team gave up the lead in the early minutes of the game to UMES, but a perfect day for Kayla Spruill pushed the Explorers to the 82-72 victory.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A 7-0 run from UMES to start the game put the Explorers in an immediate deficit until a 3-point bucket from Spruill changed the tone and put La Salle in the chase with Mia Jacobs shooting 3-of-4 from the field to cut the deficit to one, 12-11. A 2-of-2 performance from beyond the arc paired with a 4-of-4 effort from the charity stripe pushed La Salle to a seven-point cushion at the end of the first quarter, 23-16.
• La Salle's performance from the 3-point range was the difference maker with the Explorers 57.1% paired with a 10-of-16 (62.5%) effort from the field to pull ahead by 20 points, 48-28, at the end of the first half.
• The Explorers came out of the break hot tacking on four more points to increase the lead to 24, but foul trouble for La Salle placed UMES at the line shooting 9-of-12 in half to 10, 64-54, with 10 minutes left in the game.
• The Hawks closed the gap to eight, 70-62, with five minutes left in the game but a 12-2 run from La Salle over the next three minutes, highlighted by 3-point buckets from Spruill and Amy Jacobs, put the Explorers up by 18, 82-64. The Hawks ended the game with an 8-0 run to bring the deficit back down to 10.  

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Claire Jacobs led La Salle's scoring effort with 24 points from 8-of-18 shooting, 3-of-11 from deep and 5-of-6 from the line.
• Spruill joined Jacobs in the double-digit club with 20 points from a perfect 7-of-7 shooting including an impressive 6-of-6 from the 3-point range.
• Mia Jacobs ended the day with a new career-high in points recording 16 from a 6-of-10 performance from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 effort from the line.
• Jaye Haynes led the rebounding effort for La Salle with a team-high of five.
• Molly Masciantonio sat just one assist shy of double-digits with nine while committing no turnovers for the Explorers.
• Masciantonio's zero turnovers marks her second-straight game at that mark.
• UMES narrowly outrebounded the Explorers 28-27.
• La Salle held the edge in turnovers 15-17.

GAME NOTES:

• The Explorers are now 2-0 in the series against UMES. The victory marks the first away win in the series for La Salle.
• La Salle improves to 7-0 when leading at halftime and has yet to give up the win when leading at the half.
• Mia Jacobs double-figure day marks her second overall of the season, accomplished in consecutive games. She has now recorded 100% from the foul line six times this season, including four with four or more free throws made.
• Claire Jacobs' 24-point effort marks her third of the season. She has now recorded double-digits in seven games this year including the last two-straight.
• Spruill's 20 points marks her third 20-plus point game this year. She has now recorded 10-plus points in 12 contests, the most of any Explorer, including two-straight.
• Jacobs and Spruill continue to serve as the teams' only members in the 20-plus points category this season.
• The contest marks the Explorers' first back-to-back wins since its four-game stretch earlier in the season.

UP NEXT:

• La Salle will trade in the Philadelphia winter for the Florida warmth this Saturday, Dec. 17 as the team takes on USF in a 2 p.m. tip.