Princess Anne, MD - The La Salle women's basketball team heads south on Sunday for a matchup at Maryland Eastern Shore, looking to get back on track after falling to Penn in the Toyota BIG 5 Classic last Sunday.
Scouting the Hawks
UMES enters the contest following a demanding four-game road swing that featured wins at Mount St. Mary's and Wichita State, along with losses to Virginia and No. 9 Oklahoma. Senior guard Ashanti Lynch leads the Hawks with 12.3 points and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 43.4% from the field and 84.8% from the line. Senior forward Lainey Allen has also emerged as a key piece, pacing UMES in both of its recent victories with 14 points at Mount St. Mary's and 12 at Wichita State.
First-year head coach Malikah Willis brings more than two decades of experience to Princess Anne, guiding the Hawks after impactful assistant coaching stops in the ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big East, and ASUN. A nationally recognized recruiter, she has helped assemble seven top-25 recruiting classes, signed two McDonald's All-Americans, and developed five future WNBA draft picks.
Backyard Buckets
In three career games in Maryland and Washington D.C., Baltimore native Aryss Macktoon averages 21.3 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game, and 3 steals per game on 54% shooting from the field. She scored a career-high 25 points in the Explorers' season opener at Loyola Maryland.
All-Time Matchup
La Salle and UMES have met twice, in back-to-back seasons (2021 and 2022). The Explorers won the two contests by a combined 17 points. In their most recent meeting, Explorer greats Claire Jacobs and Kayla Spruill powered La Salle to an 82-72 win in Princess Anne, combining for 44 points.
Ashleigh for Threigh
Junior guard Ashleigh Connor continues her sharp shooting from distance, ranking top-20 in the Atlantic 10 in makes (12) and percentage (38.7). She knocked down two threes in the loss to Penn, marking her fourth multi-three game of the season. After shooting just 14.3% from deep last year, she has improved by 24.4 percentage points.
Przyszlak'd In
Senior Anna Przyszlak posted personal bests of 15 points and three made threes against VCU last Wednesday. She also doubled her previous high in attempts from beyond the arc (8) while adding six rebounds and finishing second on the team in scoring.
Explorers' Block Party
La Salle's interior defense has made a major leap, averaging 4.0 blocks per game — nearly tripling last season's output and currently ranking third in the Atlantic 10. Freshman Amiya Moses leads the effort with 1.0 block per game in under 10 minutes per appearance. Kiara Williams and Aryss Macktoon combined for six blocks across the Explorers' last two games against VCU and Penn.
Turnover Ratio'd
The Explorers have won the turnover battle in all but two contests this season, going 5-2 when committing fewer turnovers than their opponent. The team is averaging 0.3 fewer turnovers than last year while collecting 1.7 more steals per game.
The Q Factor
La Salle remains unbeaten this season when sophomore Joan Quinn reaches double figures. After earning preseason All-Conference honors, Quinn has delivered with 11.1 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.0 steals per game — all ranking among the top three on the roster.
Not in a Giving Mood
Redshirt junior Aryss Macktoon recorded her 100th career steal earlier this season and continues to lead the Atlantic 10 with 34 steals, a mark that ranks 13th nationally. Quinn and Connor also sit in the league's top seven in steals per game, reinforcing La Salle's identity as a disruptive, turnover-forcing team.
