Women's Basketball | February 3, 2023

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The La Salle women's basketball team will face Massachusetts for the first time since the 2020-21 season in Tom Gola Arena at TruMark Financial Center on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. The game will stream live on ESPN+.
 
The Play4Kay, Paint It Pink game, presented by Sherwin Williams, will feature a pregame networking event available to all La Salle female students. Attendees will have the opportunity to network with representatives from Sherwin Williams regarding internship and job opportunities. Free pizza, a chance to win 76ers tickets and a special breast cancer paint by numbers will also be available in the mezzanine pregame for attendees.
 
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS:

• The Explorers enter the contest at 14-9 on the season and 5-3 in Atlantic 10 play after suffering a heartbreaking loss to VCU on the road on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
• The loss not only cut La Salle's five-game win streak, but also marked the Blue and Gold's lowest-scoring game of the year tallying just 38 points from its lowest shooting percentage of the season, 23.6%.
• The Rams found a way to take the Explorers' three-point game away. La Salle, who hit at least eight threes in 13 games, was held to just 5-of-23 (13%) from the long range in the contest.
• Mia Jacobs was the only Explorer to end the game in double-digits with 10 points. The game served as the freshman's seventh consecutive and 11^th overall game of the season in double-digits.
• Molly Masciantonio continues to be a crucial part of the Explorers' offense this season. The point guard committed just one turnover against VCU marking her 11^th game this season with one or zero turnovers. Her protection and distribution of the ball is unmatched as she continues to rank first in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (4.26).
• The contest marked the first time this season La Salle has entered the half tied with its opponent making the Explorers 0-1 when tied at the half this season.
• La Salle has recorded 13 games this season with three or more Explorers in double-digits. The game against the Rams marked the first in six games where three or more Explorers did not record 10-plus points.
• Despite a low scoring game for the duo, Claire Jacobs and Kayla Spruill continue to lead the Explorers' offense averaging 13.0 and 12.0 points, respectively.
• Jacobs' 1,407 career points places her at 12^th all-time on the La Salle leaderboard. She also ranks third all-time in three-point field goals made with 181. She sits just eight away from moving into second place on the list.
• Spruill's defensive efforts have landed her tied for ninth in all-time blocks at La Salle with 73. She tied her career-high four blocks against VCU set earlier this season against George Washington. She ranks fifth on the all-time scorers list with 1,512 career points and sits just four threes away from tying the all-time 3-point field goals made (208).

SCOUTING THE MINUTEWOMEN:

• Massachusetts enters the contest at 18-4 on the season and 8-1 in the Atlantic 10 to sit second in the league's rankings. The Minutewomen's only conference loss came against a perfect 9-0 Rhode Island team on Jan. 4.
• Massachusetts comes to Philadelphia on a six-game streak most recently defeating Richmond 73-69 on Wednesday. The Minutewomen put together a second-half surge in the game thanks to Makennah white who put up 13 points and 10 rebounds.
• Sam Breen led the game with 21 points while Ber'Nyah Mayo (14), Sydney Taylor (11) and Destiney Philoxy (10) also all reached double-digits.
• Breen leads Massachusetts offensive efforts this season averaging 17.8 points per game with 391 points total this season. Breen also lands atop the leaderboard in rebounds averaging 10.0 per game.
• Taylor follows close behind in scoring averaging 16.3 points per game with 343 total.
• The Minutewomen sit first in the conference in scoring offensively, averaging 75.7 points per game, and places eighth in defensive scoring, averaging 62.6 per game. The team ties first with Rhode Island in scoring margin with 13.0. The scoring offense ranks 39^th nationally.

SERIES HISTORY:

• Massachusetts leads La Salle in the all-time series 21-14. The Explorers hold their biggest advantage over the Minutewomen when hosting them Tom Gola Arena at TruMark Financial Center earning ight of its 14 wins of the series at home.
• La Salle snapped a four-game skid with the Minutewomen dating back to 2017 last season. Prior to the Explorers victory at UMass, La Salle had not defeated the Minutewomen on the road since Feb. 2017. The 2016-17 season also marks the last time La Salle defeated UMass at home in a 68- 64 victory on Jan. 25.