Philadelphia, PA - The La Salle women's basketball team returns to Atlantic 10 play on Saturday afternoon, welcoming Fordham to John E. Glaser Arena, as the Explorers look to build momentum against the Rams
Scouting the Rams
Fordham enters the matchup at 1-11 in conference play, sitting 13th in the Atlantic 10 with its lone league win coming against St. Bonaventure. Despite dropping five straight, the Rams pushed red-hot Loyola Chicago to the final buzzer on Wednesday, falling 47-42 at Rose Hill Gym. Emma Wilson-Saltos led Fordham with 13 points, matching her scoring output from the previous four games combined.
Saturday marks the 58th meeting between La Salle and Fordham, with the Explorers holding a 39-18 advantage in the all-time series. La Salle has also won five of the last seven matchups. The two teams met on New Year's Eve to open conference play, with the Explorers earning a 72-69 road victory. Four Explorers scored in double figures in the win, while Amiya Moses added a career-high eight points off the bench. Kiara Williams and Joan Quinn each tallied four steals.
6ix Blocks from the 6ix
Scarborough, Ontario native Amiya Moses recorded a career-high six blocks in Wednesday's loss to Dayton. The six rejections tied the most by any player in the Atlantic 10 this season and marked the most by an Explorer since Amy Griffin on November 16, 2017.
Power in Numbers
Four Explorers reached double figures in the December win at Fordham, marking the eighth time La Salle has accomplished the feat this season. The Explorers are 6-2 when four players score in double digits, with both losses coming against Saint Joseph's.
Stealing the Show
Aryss Macktoon continues to pace the Atlantic 10 in steals and ranks top ten nationally with 82. She is on track to break La Salle's single-season steals record of 90, set by Ashley Gale in 2010-11. Macktoon has recorded at least one steal in every game this season, with multiple steals in all but one. Joan Quinn and Ashleigh Connor also rank among the league's top 15, helping La Salle lead the conference in team steals.
Hometown Hero
In last Saturday's win at Duquesne, redshirt junior Ashleigh Connor poured in a career-high 26 points in her first collegiate game in her hometown of Pittsburgh. The 2022 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player of the Year also knocked down a career-high 11 free throws, marking the third time this season she has set a new career scoring high.
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. Williams scored a career-high 20 points on just 13 shot attempts at Loyola and added 10 points in the win over the Bonnies, giving her 10 double-digit scoring games this season. The Explorers are 6-6 when the Palm Bay, Fla. native scores 10 or more.
