Women's Basketball Opens New England Road Swing at UMass on Thursday

Women's Basketball | January 14, 2015

PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle women's basketball team opens up a two-game swing through New England at Massachusetts on Thursday at 7pm at the Mullins Center. The Explorers continue on Sunday at Rhode Island at 2pm.

La Salle Explorers (10-6, 1-2 Atlantic 10) at Massachusetts Minutewomen (7-8, 1-2 Atlantic 10)
Thursday, Jan. 15 | 7:00 PM | Mullins Center
Live Stats | Live Video | Live Audio | Live Tweets @ExplorerGameDay

Follow the Explorers on: Twitter | Instagram

Game Notes
La Salle | UMass

Video Stream
Thursday's contest at UMass will be streamed on the A-10 Digital Network.

All-Time Series vs. Minutewomen
The Explorers are 9-14 overall against the Minutewomen, but have taken the last four straight. They topped UMass 68-57 two years ago at the Mullins Center, and then downed the Minutewomen 78-41 in the biggest margin of victory in years last year at Gola Arena. Micahya Owens scored a career-high 23 points in last year's win, and all but one player got on the scoreboard in that victory.

Scouting the Explorers
La Salle looks to bounce back after a pair of home losses last week. The Explorers dropped a 70-59 decision to defending Atlantic 10 champion Fordham last Thursday and fell in a heartbreaker to George Mason on Sunday when the Patriots hit a game-winning shot that beat the buzzer. Alicia Cropper led the squad with 13.5 ppg in those two contests, including a team-best 16 against the Patriots.

Micahya Owens continues to lead the Explorers with 14.1 ppg while chipping in 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Cropper is averaging 13.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 2.6 apg, and Siobhan Beslow rounds out the top three scorers with 7.6 ppg. Beslow continues to lead the squad in rebounding, pulling down 6.4 boards per outing.

Cropper is on a 1,000-point watch, as the redshirt senior is up to 936 for her career that spans two years at Providence and two at La Salle. At her current clip of 13.3 ppg, she should hit that mark at VCU on Jan. 31.

The Explorers are shooting 37.7 percent as a team and are fourth in the Atlantic 10 with a 34.2 percent three-point clip. They have struggled defensively, as teams are shooting 40.0 percent overall against them and 31.3 percent from three. The Explorers outrebound opponents 40.7 to 39.1.

Scouting the Minutewomen
UMass is coming off of a huge upset road victory over Saint Joseph's on Saturday. The Minutewomen defeated the Hawks handily, 65-47. Cierra Dillard led a trio of players in double-figures with 18 points, while Rashida Timbilla added 17 and Kim Pierre-Louis recorded a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Pierre-Louis has established herself as one of the top players in the Atlantic 10, as she averages 18.0 ppg behind 52.9 percent shooting. She is also second on the team with 7.2 rebounds per game.

Dillard averages 11.2 ppg, while grabbing over two steals per game. Timbilla rounds out the top three scorers with 8.9 ppg, while leading the team on the boards with 9.6 rebounds per game. She is also the leading thief with just under 2.3 steals per game.

UMass is shooting 42.3 percent overall while limiting opponents to 38.4 percent. The Minutewomen also hit 33.1 percent of their three-point attempts behind three-point sharpshooter Emily Mital (23-61; 37.7%). The squad pulls down 37.3 rpg while limiting opponents to 35.4.

Next Up
La Salle returns home for two games next week, including Saint Louis on Wednesday (1/21) and George Washington on Saturday (1/24).

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#2 Siobhan Beslow: F; 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior

#14 Alicia Cropper: G; 5' 7"; Redshirt Senior

#34 Micahya Owens: F; 5' 11"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#2 Siobhan Beslow
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior
: F

#14 Alicia Cropper
: 5' 7"; Redshirt Senior
: G

#34 Micahya Owens
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: F

Players Mentioned

#2 Siobhan Beslow

#14 Alicia Cropper

#34 Micahya Owens

Players Mentioned

#2 Siobhan Beslow

#14 Alicia Cropper

#34 Micahya Owens