Philadelphia, PA - The La Salle women's basketball team will host Mississippi State on Saturday, taking on the Bulldogs for the first time in program history.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Mississippi State enters the weekend riding a seven-game winning streak and has won all but one game this season by an average margin of more than 25 points. The Bulldogs are coming off their largest victory of the year, a 105-57 blowout of Alabama State on Wednesday night.
The lone true road test for Mississippi State came on Nov. 20, when the Bulldogs fell at Texas Tech, 69-62. Junior forward Favour Nwaedozi leads the team in both scoring (14.1 PPG) and rebounding (10.3 RPG) while shooting a team-best 61.1 percent from the field. Freshman forward Madison Francis has emerged as one of the nation's top rim protectors, leading the country with 40 blocks, including a seven-block effort against Charlotte. Francis also poured in a career-high 30 points against Alabama State.
The Ki to Success
Kiara Williams earned her first career Big 5 Rookie of the Week honor on Monday following a pair of standout performances. The redshirt freshman tallied 11 points, six rebounds, three steals, and three blocks at UMES before following it up with another all-around effort, totaling 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and a steal.
Connor Keeps Creating
Ashleigh Connor has set a new career high in assists in three consecutive games, dishing out six against VCU, seven versus Penn, and eight at UMES. The redshirt junior is averaging 1.4 more assists per game than she did last season and currently ranks second in the Atlantic 10 at 4.5 assists per contest.
AA Battery
Ashleigh Connor and Aryss Macktoon make up the only duo in the Atlantic 10 each averaging at least 15 points per game, posting 15.7 and 15.4 respectively. The Explorers are 3-0 this season in games where both Connor and Macktoon score 15 or more points.
Explorers' Block Party
La Salle recorded 10 blocks in its comeback win at UMES, marking the program's most blocks in a game since 2018. The Explorers are averaging 4.7 blocks per contest, ranking second in the Atlantic 10 and representing more than a 200 percent increase from last season. Amiya Moses leads the team at 1.3 blocks per game, while Moses and Williams combined for seven blocks at UMES.
The Q Factor
La Salle remains undefeated this season when Joan Quinn scores in double figures. The preseason All-Conference selection is averaging 10.6 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game, each ranking among the top three on the roster.
Not in a Giving Mood
Aryss Macktoon has totaled 39 steals this season, ranking top 15 nationally and first in the Atlantic 10. Teammates Joan Quinn and Ashleigh Connor also rank top 10 in the conference in steals per game, anchoring a La Salle defense that continues to generate pressure and force turnovers.
