Women's Basketball | January 17, 2023

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. ­– The La Salle women's basketball team renews its rivalry with Atlantic 10 and Big 5 foe Saint Joseph's this Wednesday, Jan. 18 in a 7 p.m. game on Hawk Hill. The contest will stream on ESPN+.
 
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS:

• La Salle enters the contest at 11-8 overall on the season and 2-2 in conference play having won its last two consecutive contests at home in Tom Gola Arena at TruMark Financial Center. The victories mark the Explorers' first back-to-back A-10 wins since going 4-0 to round out the regular season in 2021-22
• The Explorers sunk 12 three-pointers in its most recent contest against George Washington to mount a lead that the Colonials couldn't overcome. La Salle secured a 74-65 victory and snapped its single-game skid in the series.
• The contest marked the Explorers' second-straight with 12 threes in a game, just one shy from the season high of 13.
• Kayla Spruill led the game for the Explorers with her first double-double of the season. She knocked down 12 points on 7-of-15 shooting and 3-of-7 from deep while adding 11 rebounds. The graduate student also tied her career-high in assists (5) and set a new career mark in blocks (4). Spruill recorded her 200^th 3-pointer in the game placing her just eight away from tying the program's all-time 3-point record, 208, set by Jamie Walsh (2006-10). The Maryland native's 41.8% 3-point shooting percentage currently ranks third in the conference.  
• Claire Jacobs continues to land in double-digits with 13 points against the Colonials. The senior sank two threes to move up the all-time record list with 173 career three-pointers. She also has recorded double-digits in 14 total games this season including the last two straight.
• Mia Jacobs continues to be consistent for the Explorers. The freshman tallied 16 points from 6-of-10 shooting including a 2-of-5 effort from beyond the arc and perfect 2-of-2 performance from the foul line. She has now hit 10-plus in seven games this season including the last three-straight.
• Molly Masciantonio reached her second consecutive games in double-digits tying her season-high 13 points in the game. She is averaging 4.6 assists per game ranking seventh in the league.
• The contest against GW marked the Explorers 12^th game this season in which at least three Explorers have reached double digits including the third consecutive game it has been done. The contest also marked the first to have four players reach 10-plus since Claire Jacobs, Mia Jacobs, Jaye Haynes and Charity Shears did so against Saint Joseph's on Dec. 31.
• Both Spruill and Claire Jacobs lead the offensive efforts for La Salle this season averaging 12.7 and 12.8 points per game, respectively. The duo continues to climb up the program's all-time scorers list with Spruill sitting in seventh with 1,489 points and Jacobs in 13^th with 1,351 points.

SCOUTING THE HAWKS:

• Saint Joseph's enters the contest at 14-3 overall and 4-1 in the A-10 most recently suffering a heartbreaking loss to Massachusetts.
• The Hawks held the lead for more than 31 minutes, but the Minutewomen closed the game edging out the Hawks 58-56.
• Laura Ziegler recorded a career-high 22 points in the contest. The rookie has secured five A-10 Rookie of the Week honors since the beginning of the season. Ziegler has tallied three double-doubles and is one of just five Hawks to average 11 points and seven rebounds per game. She leads St. Joe's in rebounds (7.9) and ranks third in points (11.2).
• The Hawks enter the contest at 2-0 following a loss including a victory over the Explorers in the conference opener after falling to James Madison the game prior.
• Emma Boslet paced the Hawks in the last victory over La Salle with a career-high in points (11) and rebounds (9). She was a perfect 6-of-6 from the line. Boslet has scored more in her 11 appearances this season (51) than in her 27 games of her Hawk career (42).
• Sixth-year guard Katie Jekot enters the contest just two assists shy from tying Mary Kate McDade (2005-09) for ninth in career assists (385) in the Hawks' record books.

SERIES HISTORY:

• This is the 67^th overall meeting between the Hawks and Explorers. La Salle trails St. Joe's 15-52 in the series and is on a one-game skid after previously winning the last three consecutive matchups.
• The game marks the second meeting between the rivals this season and the first in 2023. The Explorers last hosted the Hawks in a New Year's Eve matchup to kick off conference play.
• La Salle took as large as an 11-point lead over St. Joe's in the first quarter, but a comeback frame of 21 points for the Hawks handed them the edge resulting in the 68-64 win.
• Claire Jacobs led the contest for the Explorers with 17 points.