Philadelphia, PA - The La Salle women's basketball team returns home Wednesday evening for an Atlantic 10 matchup against Dayton, as the Explorers look to build on momentum and protect home court in conference play.
Scouting the Flyers
Dayton enters Saturday's contest at 4-7 in Atlantic 10 play, sitting 10th in the league standings. The Flyers have gone 1-2 in their last three games, falling to Rhode Island and George Washington, with a dramatic home win over St. Bonaventure mixed in. That victory came on a four-point play by Nicole Stephens in the final minute. Saturday's matchup begins a two-game Philadelphia swing for Dayton, which will also visit Saint Joseph's. Despite the recent loss to George Washington, Dayton has received consistent offensive production from its guards. Sophomore Olivia Leung has scored in double figures in four straight games and led the Flyers with 20 points in the win over St. Bonaventure. Stephens added 19 points in that contest and has scored 10 or more points in eight of Dayton's last nine games.
La Salle and Dayton have met 24 times since the 2004-05 season, with the Flyers holding a 21-3 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams last met in the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship, where Dayton earned a 60-45 victory.
Hometown Hero
In Saturday's win at Duquesne, redshirt junior Ashleigh Connor delivered a career-high performance in her first collegiate game in her hometown of Pittsburgh. Connor scored a career-best 26 points while making a career-high 11 free throws. The 2022 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player of the Year has now set or matched her career high three times this season.
2 in the Top 5
Ashleigh Connor (15.6 PPG) and Aryss Macktoon (15.5 PPG) each rank in the Atlantic 10's top five in scoring. The duo forms one of just six pairs nationwide in which both players average at least 15 points per game and rank top five in their conference.
Power in Numbers
Four Explorers scored in double figures Saturday at Duquesne, marking the eighth time La Salle has accomplished the feat this season. The Explorers are 6-2 in such games, with both losses coming against Saint Joseph's.
Stealing the Show
Aryss Macktoon continues to anchor La Salle's defensive pressure, ranking fifth nationally with 80 steals while leading the Atlantic 10. She has recorded at least one steal in every game this season and multiple steals in all but one, and is on pace to break La Salle's single-season steals record of 90. Teammates Joan Quinn and Ashleigh Connor also rank among the league's top 15 in steals, helping the Explorers lead the conference in team steals.
Big 5 Roo 'Ki' of the Week
For the second time this season, redshirt freshman Kiara Williams earned Big 5 Rookie of the Week honors following her performances at Loyola Chicago and St. Bonaventure. The Palm Bay, FL native scored a career-high 20 points on just 13 shot attempts at Loyola and added 10 points in the win over the Bonnies, marking her 10th and 11th double-digit scoring games of the season. La Salle is 6-6 when Williams scores 10 or more points.
