Women's Basketball | February 12, 2022

RICHMOND, Va. – The La Salle women's basketball team returns to the road for the first time in February to take on the Richmond Spiders for the second time this season on Sunday, Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. The game follows a week off for the Explorers after a 1-2 slate of games at home for La Salle.
 
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS:

• La Salle (12-10, 5-5 A10) enters its first road game in the month of February following a close loss to Rhode Island (66-60) on Sunday afternoon in Tom Gola Arena.
• The teams remained neck-in-neck for the majority of the game with the Explorers finishing the first and second frames with the lead over URI. The game saw nine lead changes and tied 10 times, but a 6-0 run from Rhody through the final minute and a half put them ahead for the win.
• Kayla Spruill recorded her 16th game in double figures this season including her third-straight. Spruill went 4-of-6 from the long range in the game marking the fourth time, and third-straight, that she has buried four buckets from deep this season. Spruill continues to lead the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (45.9%) and free throw percentage (91.3%). She ranks seventh in rebounding pulling down an average 7.6 boards per game.
• Amy Jacobs and Molly Masciantonio were shooting threats from beyond the arc for the Explorers in the game against Rhode Island each converting three 3-point buckets. Claire Jacobs and Jaye Haynes contributed two threes apiece in the contest. The Explorers 14 3-point buckets marks the most in a single game this season.
• Gabby Crawford (13.4) and Claire Jacobs (10.1) join Spruill as the only Explorers averaging double-digit scoring this season.
• Masciantonio continues to be the leading helping hand for the Explorers averaging 4.8 assists per game. She currently ranks second in the league and 24th in the nation in assist to turnover ratio (2.33).
• The Explorers continue to lead the conference in free throw percentage shooting 78.2% from the line this season. La Salle has won the turnover battle in 15 of its contests this season and currently sits second in the league in turnover margin (2.77).

SCOUTING THE SPIDERS:

• Richmond (13-11, 4-7 A10) enters the contest having lost its last three straight games and its last seven of nine dating back to Jan. 12. The Spiders are currently 0-3 for the month of February.
• The Spiders are currently the league leaders in blocks (137) and blocks per game (5.7), which ranks sixth and ninth nationally, respectively.
• Addie Budnik ranks first in the A-10 and fifth in the nation in blocking with 67. Her 2.8 blocks per game puts her at second in the league and 10^th in the nation.
• Four spiders are currently averaging double digits. Budnik leads the way in scoring with 13.2 points per game. She is shooting nearly 50% from the field in 24 games this season sinking 122 of her 245 attempted buckets.
• Kate Klimkiewicz is averaging 12.2 points per game and leading the rebounding effort for the spiders with a team-high 6.3 boards per game.
• Grace Townsend and Emma Squires are averaging 10.2 and 10.1 points per game, respectively.

SERIES HISTORY

• The Explorers trail the Spiders, 8-24, in the all-time series, but snapped a two-game skid in with a 20-point victory over Richmond earlier this year. The win marks the largest margin of victory for La Salle in the series and snapped a seven-game skid for the Explorers over the Spiders.
• Claire Jacobs recorded a new career milestone in the game. Not only did she pace the Explorers with a team-high 17 points, her seventh point in the game also pushed her to the 1,000-point mark. She tied for the third fastest Explorer to ever reach the milestone. Jacobs also pulled down a game-high eight boards.
• Crawford put up 16 points and five rebounds.