Philadelphia, PA - La Salle women's basketball will play their third of four straight home games on Tuesday night for a Big 5 showdown with Villanova, looking to carry positive momentum into one of its toughest non-conference tests of the season.
Scouting the Wildcats
Villanova enters the matchup at 4-2 after an emphatic 88-58 win over Temple on Saturday, their third win this year by 30 or more points. The Wildcats have dominated at home but will be playing just their second true road game after opening the season with four games at home and a neutral-site contest in Toronto. Sophomore Jasmine Bascoe continues to be the engine for Villanova, leading the team for the second straight season with 16.8 points per game. Senior guards Ryanne Allen and Denae Carter are coming off breakout performances against Temple, scoring 19 and 17 points respectively while combining to miss just two shots. Allen drilled five threes in the effort. Sixth-year head coach Denise Dillon has built a model of consistency, guiding Villanova to four straight 20-win seasons and postseason appearances in each of her first five years, including two NCAA Tournament berths and two deep WBIT runs. Villanova was absent from La Salle's schedule last season for the first time in program history. The Wildcats have won 15 straight in the series, with the Explorers aiming to snap a streak that dates back to 2009-10.
IvONa Miljanic Heating Up
Senior Ivona Miljanic is coming off her best performance in a La Salle uniform, dropping a DI career-high 16 points on a collegiate-best five threes against American. She logged a season-high 31 minutes and added two steals.
Mask Off
Sophomore Joan Quinn has found her rhythm since shedding the mask, averaging 16.5 points and three steals over her last two outings. She was the only Explorer to hit a three against West Chester and followed it up by leading the team in scoring against American.
Explorers' Block Party
La Salle has taken a major leap defensively, averaging 4.0 blocks per game, almost triple last year's mark. Freshman Amiya Moses leads with 1.4 per contest in just 10 minutes per game, while fellow underclassmen Ava Hoy and Sania Jenkins have combined for six blocks in limited action.
20-20-20 Vision
La Salle made program history at Lehigh when Aryss Macktoon, Ashleigh Connor, and Joan Quinn each scored 20+ points in the same game, the first Explorer trio ever to do so. Macktoon added eight steals as the group combined for 15 boards and nine assists in the 81-70 road win.
The Ki to Success
Freshman Kiara Williams continues to shine early in her college career, averaging 9.6 points and 3.4 rebounds on 52.9% shooting. She posted a career-high 16 against West Chester, including three and-one finishes.
