Women's Basketball | December 20, 2023

PHILADELPHIA – La Salle women's basketball will face Big 5 foe Villanova as the first leg in a doubleheader tomorrow at Tom Gola Arena. This will be the final game in the Explorers non-conference schedule as they prepare for A-10 play next week.
 
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SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS:

• La Salle enters tomorrow at 3-7 overall, and currently on a five-game losing streak after they dropped a home contest to Temple last Sunday.
• Graduate student Molly Masciantonio has one of her best games against the Owls on Sunday. She finished the contest with 12 points, three three-point shots made, three assists, and two steals. Masciantonio is tenth in the A-10 Conference in assists this season, averaging 3.3 per game.
• Gabby Turco had a strong outing against the Owls. She accounted for ten points and six rebounds in the loss. Turco is averaging 7.1 points per game this season, good for fifth on the team in that category.
• Freshman center Hailey Chiles made her first collegiate start for the Explorers on Sunday. She totaled four points and five assists against Temple and played a season-high 21 minutes.
• As a team, turnovers have been a struggle this season, and they did not help against Temple. The team turned the ball over 31 times Sunday, one turnover shy of their season-high.
• This series has not been a favorable one for La Salle historically. Villanova has only lost to the Explorers nine times and won 43 times. La Salle will be looking to find a win against a tough Wildcat team for the third time since 2006.

 
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS:

• Villanova enters tomorrow with a 6-5 record overall, 0-1 in Big East play following the lost to St. John's last Saturday. The Wildcats are riding their own losing streak as they have lost three straight games, one to Saint Joseph's, one to Princeton, and most recently to St. John's.
• Junior guard Lucy Olsen leads Villanova in scoring by a wide margin. She is currently averaging 23.5 points per game, and the next closest player is averaging 10.3 ppg.
• Olsen has scored above 20 points in a game eight times this season with her season-high 40 points coming against Temple.
• Forward Christina Dalce averages 11.2 rebounds per game for the Wildcats this season. She secured 18 rebounds in a win over Temple.
• Villanova is led by head coach Denise Dillon in her fourth season with the team.

 
HOW TO FOLLOW:

• Tomorrow's game can be streamed on ESPN+ starting at 12 p.m.
• The game can also be followed using the Live Stats link.