Women's Basketball | February 3, 2022

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The La Salle women's basketball team plays host to VCU for an evening matchup in Tom Gola Arena on Friday, Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. The contest will stream nationally on ESPN+.

SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS:

• La Salle (12-8, 5-3 A10) enters the contest after snapping a two-game skid with a 66-58 victory over fellow Atlantic 10 and Big 5 foe Saint Joseph's on Wednesday evening at home in Tom Gola Arena.
• The Explorers shot just a season-high 48.1% (25-of-52) from the field. It was just the second contest La Salle shot at least 45% from the field. La Salle also won the turnover battle 12-19. The Explorers have turned the ball over less than its opponents in 14 of its 20 contests this season.
• Gabby Crawford led the night once again for La Salle. The junior recorded a new career record in points, 22, having set her previous record of 21 just a single game prior. Crawford added 12 boards to the night for her first double-double as an Explorer. She is currently averaging 14.8 points per game and is shooting a team-high 50% from the field this season. She's second in rebounding pulling down an average of 6.2 boards.
• Kayla Spruill added 21 points in the game for La Salle marking her 14^th double-digit game this season and her fifth with 20+ points. She continues to lead the conference in free throw percentage shooting 90.6% this season. Spruill ranks second in the league in 3-point field goal percentage shooting 43.4% from beyond the arc. The senior is averaging 7.7 rebounds per game, good for sixth in the A-10.
• Claire Jacobs is the only other Explorer averaging in double digits this season recording 10.3 points per game. 108 of her 206 points this season came from 3-point baskets.
• La Salle enters the contest having nine players on its 13-person roster competing in all 20 contests this season with five of those players averaging at least 20 minutes per game.

SCOUTING THE RAMS:

• VCU (9-8, 4-3 A-10) enters the contest following a 72-68 victory over crosstown rival Richmond on Wednesday night. Keowa Walters ended the game with a career-high 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting and added nine rebounds.
• Taya Robinson scored 19 points and added a career-high 11 rebounds for her fourth career double-double.
• Walters has averaged 12.5 points per game and 6.1 rebounds across the last four contests.
• VCU is currently ranked 19^th nationally this season in fewest turnovers at 12.8 per game. The Rams are 73^rd in turnover margin (+2.76) and fifth overall in total fewest turnovers. All of the marks lead the A-10.
• Robinson is the Rams' leading scorer at 15.7 points per game and has scored 14 or more points in 12 of her last 13 games.
• Janika Griffith-Wallace is third on the team in scoring at 9.9 points per game while also leading the team at 2.24 steals per game, good for 79^th nationally.

SERIES HISTORY:

• VCU leads the all-time series with the Explorers 6-3. La Salle is split when playing at home having won two and lost two. The Explorers have not recorded a victory against the Rams in Tom Gola Arena since 2018 and are currently on a three-game skid in the series with VCU.
• The two squads last met in Virginia on 2/18/21 with a single-point being the deciding factor of the game. The Rams scored five of the final seven points in the contest to claim victory.
• Current senior Kayla Spruill led the game with a double-double in a career performance. She finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and six steals.