PHILADELPHIA – La Salle women's basketball got their first conference win over the Fordham Rams Saturday afternoon 64-53. The Explorers snap an eight-game losing streak and now sit at 4-10 overall this season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• La Salle came out from the jump and offensively took over. Molly Masciantonio was able to contribute from the word 'go'. The graduate student totaled seven points by the end of the first and helped La Salle to a one-point lead after one.
• The second quarter would remain close all throughout as both offenses went up and down the court to convert scoring drives.
• Halfway through the quarter Fordham would find themselves up 27-21 led by Taya Davis, but the Explorers would fight right back.
• Emilee Tahata would find her shot offensively and get La Salle back within three after sinking a deep three, with an assist from Makayla Miller.
• Masciantonio would bring the score to 26-27 with her 14^th point of the first half with just over three minutes remaining in the second quarter.
• Fordham went up by four, but a Nicole Melious three would close out the first half with La Salle only trailing by one 30-29.
• La Salle came out in the second firing away offensively and tied up the game quickly. Melious converted on a pull-up jump shot to tie it before Molly Masciantonio knocked down a three-point shot to get her total to 17 points, and give La Salle a 35-32 lead.
• Miller continued to be productive on the offensive end, scoring or assisting. Halfway through the third she took in a pass from Masciantonio and hit a three-point shot to pull La Salle back up to a 40-38 lead.
• The end of the third was about La Salle inching their way towards their first win since November 21^st. Jolene Armendariz would score four points in the final three minutes of the quarter and get the Explorers up 46-42.
• Fordham would get the La Salle lead down to two points a couple of times in the fourth, but it was not enough.
• Melious, Miller, Masciantonio, and Armendariz would all help seal the win in the fourth quarter both offensively and defensively.

 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Masciantonio set her career-high DI points total today with 19, just one game removed of breaking that same record with 17 points against Davidson.
• Melious had been in a scoring drought recently, but broke that against Fordham with 16 points, 12 of which coming from beyond the arch.
• The Explorer defense held Fordham's leading scorer Taylor Donaldson to only 11 points. The transfer from New Mexico State has averaged 18.7 points per game entering today.
• Fordham leads the A-10 in steals, but La Salle still won the turnover battle 18-21 and had more steals than the Rams (15-12).
• La Salle played fundamentally sound basketball only sending Fordham to the line nine times.

 
UP NEXT:

• La Salle will take a trip on Wednesday to face the St. Bonaventure Bonnies in New York. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ starting at 7 p.m.