Austin, TX - The La Salle women's basketball team will travel to Texas on Tuesday, with tip-off set for 7:00 pm CT on SECNetwork+.
Last Time Out
The Explorers earned a wire-to-wire 95-46 victory over Chestnut Hill on Friday night at John Glaser Arena. Junior
Ayisse Magassa led all scorers with 19 points, while graduate student
Mackenzie Daleba recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
A Milestone Victory
The Explorers eclipsed multiple milestones against Chestnut Hill.
The 49-point victory marked La Salle's largest win since earning a 77-30 victory over Hartford on January 2, 2023.
In the victory, the Explorers grabbed 60 rebounds, the most by an Atlantic 10 team against NCAA opposition this season. La Salle's 95 points were the fifth-most points scored in the Atlantic 10 in a game this season, while the Explorers' 40 Field goals tied for the most in the Atlantic 10 this year.
Mackenzie Daleba's double-double marked the first double-double for an Explorer since Gabby Crawford recorded 22 points and 12 rebounds against Saint Joseph's on February 2, 2022.
Trending Up
The Explorers have won five of their last seven games going into Tuesday night's game. After closing out the first month of the season with three straight victories over Rider, American, and Lehigh, La Salle opened up Atlantic 10 play with a 55-45 over Loyola Chicago before earning the win over Chestnut Hill last Friday.
Overall, the Explorers are just two wins away from matching last year's win total.
Friday's victory moved La Salle to 4-1 at the brand new John E. Glaser Arena this season. The Arena features a 360-degree bowl with all chairbacks, state-of-the-art video boards, both in the center hung and multiple ribbons, a new HVAC system, completely redone audio and lighting systems and several more improvements to the fan experience that contribute to an improved homecourt advantage for the Explorers.
Crashing The Boards
La Salle ranks 30th in the country and third in the A10 with 15.2 offensive rebounds per game. The Explorers are second in the conference with 40.91 rebounds per game.
Stealing The Ball
La Salle is 37th nationally with 11.5 steals per contest, which is good for second in the Atlantic 10. Sophomore
Aryss Macktoon leads the Explorers with 32 steals on the season, which is among the Top-15 in the country.
Depth Is Key
Friday's victory marked the fifth time four Explorers scored in double figures in the same win. La Salle also managed to pull off the feat against Temple, Delaware, Lehigh, and Loyola Chicago.
Against Chestnut Hill, a season-high 12 players recorded at least one point. This also marked the fourth time 12 or more players saw action during a game.
La Salle Against The SEC
Tuesday's game marks the first-ever matchup between Texas and La Salle. The Explorers have played nine games against current SEC opposition. La Salle will be looking for its second-ever victory over an SEC team after earning a 67-62 victory at Texas A&M on November 22, 2003.
Scouting The Longhorns
Ranked #6 in the country, Texas comes into Tuesday's game with a 10-1 record on the season. This marks the second consecutive game against Atlantic 10 competition for the Longhorns, who defeated Richmond 65-54 on Sunday night.
Newcomers Make Noise
Multiple first-year Explorers eclipsed career highs in the last week.
Diora Ressaissi recorded her first collegiate points against Penn before adding five points against Chestnut Hill, while freshman
Sania Jenkins scored three against the Quakers and four against the Griffins for her first collegiate points. Junior
Ivy Fox added a career-high 10 points against the Griffins.
Next Up
The Explorers will play in the UC San Diego Winter Classic on Friday and Saturday, where they will face off against Northern Kentucky and UC San Diego.
