KINGSTON, R.I. – The La Salle women's basketball team battled Rhode Island through the entire 40 minutes of play, but came up short falling to the Rams 70-59 on the road Sunday afternoon.
 
The Explorers fall to 9-8 on the season and 0-2 in Atlantic 10 play while the Rams improve to 12-3 overall and 3-0 in the A-10.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Rhode Island jumped ahead by five to start the game the put the Explorers in the chase. The momentum swung in La Salle's direction when Molly Masciantonio converted a three to tie it, 7-7, at the 6:20 mark. The Rams mounted a 7-0 run to take a 14-7 lead cut down to just four by Claire Jacobs from downtown. Foul trouble for the Explorers put Rhody at the line shooting three to take a seven-point lead, 19-12, out of the first frame.
• The Rams put up five unanswered points to take an 11-point lead cut to eight at the 6:27 mark thanks to a Charity Shears long ball. Rhody put up two more points to take a 10-point advantage into the media. After a scoreless three minutes coming out of the media, Rhode Island held the 7-3 edge in the final minute to take a 12-point lead into the half, 36-24.
• A layup in the opening seconds of the third put Rhode Island ahead by 14 until a 7-0 run from the Explorers highlighted by a Charity Shears three ball cut the deficit down to six for the Explorers, 40-34. The Rams pulled ahead by as many as 12 off back-to-back threes, but the Explorers answered with a 7-1 run through the final minute to keep it within six, 54-48.
• The Explorers struggled to protect the basket from the Rams' sharp 3-point shooting in the fourth allowing six unanswered points to trail by 14, 70-56, with just over two minutes remaining. The final minutes saw three made buckets from the charity stripe for Claire Jacobs to bring the final deficit to just 11, 70-59.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:

• Shears led the scoring effort for the Explorers' offense connecting on 5-of-9 from the field and leading from beyond the arc (3-of-7) for 13 points.
• Kayla Spruill broke her double-digit scoring drought with 10 points off 4-of-8 shooting and a perfect 2-of-2 performance from the line.
• Mia Jacobs added 10 with a 2-of-8 effort from the field including a 1-of-6 performance from the long range and a 5-of-6 effort from the line.
• Masciantonio and Claire Jacobs came close to breaking double-digits with nine points apiece. Masciantonio led the Explorers in steals with five.
• La Salle struggled at the boards losing the battle 34-14.

GAME NOTES:

• La Salle continues to lead the all-time series against Rhode Island 29-11, however the Rams have now won four-straight against the Explorers.
• Shears has recorded her seventh game in double-digits this season and her first in 2023.
• The contest marks Spruill's 11^th in double figures and first in two contests since totaling 14 against Villanova on Dec. 21.
• Mia Jacobs has now totaled five games with 10-plus points. Her five buckets from the charity stripe mark the seventh time the freshman has sunk at least four free throws in a game this season.
• The Explorers are 0-1 when playing on Sunday and 1-1 in the month of January.
• This marks just the second game La Salle has dropped this season when its opponent has scored between 70-79 points.

 
UP NEXT:

• La Salle returns home to Tom Gola Arena at TruMark Financial Center for its first of back-to-back home games against George Mason on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m.
• The game, presented by Independence Blue Cross, is the Explorers Family Day! Fans are encouraged to bring out their entire family for a night of fun. Tickets can be purchased here.
• The Explorers will host their first-ever Diaper Dash. Those with children 6-12 months that can ONLY crawl can sign up here! The winner will receive up to three Jr. Explorers Club memberships plus the addition of discounted tickets for two adults to all women's basketball home games and six men's basketball home games.