Bronx, NY - The La Salle women's basketball team heads north on Wednesday night for an Atlantic 10 matchup at Fordham, renewing a longtime conference rivalry at Rose Hill Gymnasium.
Scouting the Rams
Fordham enters the contest with an 8-4 record after closing its non-conference slate with back-to-back wins. The Rams are coming off their largest victory of the season, an 86-61 win over Saint Francis on December 21, and boast a strong 6-1 mark at home this year. Junior guard Alexis Black leads Fordham in scoring (20.5 PPG), assists (3.9 APG), and steals (2.3 SPG) while shooting a team-high 40 percent from three-point range. Black poured in 25 points against Saint Francis, marking her seventh 20-point performance of the season. Fellow junior Lakrisha Edwards added a season-high 15 points in the win. Head coach Bridgette Mitchell is in her third season at the helm of the Rams in 2025–26 after previously earning 2023 CAA Coach of the Year honors at Northeastern.
All-Time Matchup
The Explorers and Rams have met 56 times since 1984, with La Salle holding a 38-18 advantage in the series. Fordham swept the two meetings last season after the Explorers had won four straight in the rivalry. In last season's 61-58 loss at Fordham, Ashleigh Connor, Aryss Macktoon, and Joan Quinn each scored in double figures.
Explorers' Block Party
La Salle recorded 10 blocks in its comeback win at UMES, the program's most in a game since 2018. The Explorers are averaging 4.5 blocks per contest, ranking third in the Atlantic 10 and representing more than a 200 percent increase from last season. Amiya Moses leads the team at 1.2 blocks per game, while Moses and Kiara Williams combined for seven blocks at UMES.
Connor Keeps Creating
Ashleigh Connor has set a new career high in assists in three consecutive games, recording six against VCU, seven versus Penn, and eight at UMES. The redshirt junior is averaging more than an assist per game better than last season and currently ranks second in the Atlantic 10 at 4.2 assists per contest.
AA Battery
Ashleigh Connor and Aryss Macktoon rank first and second in the Atlantic 10 in steals per game and are the only duo in the conference each averaging at least 14.8 points per game, posting 15.3 and 14.8 respectively. La Salle is 3-0 this season when both Connor and Macktoon score 15 or more points.
The Q Factor
La Salle remains undefeated in games where Joan Quinn scores in double figures. The preseason All-Conference selection is averaging 9.9 points, 3.0 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, all ranking among the top three on the team.
Not in a Giving Mood
Aryss Macktoon has totaled 42 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, helping anchor a La Salle defense that continues to pressure opponents and force turnovers.
