PHILADELPHIA, PA, 1/31/2019 – The La Salle Explorers were seeking their first Atlantic 10 victory of the season. The Explorers erased a 16-point defecit and tied the game at 49 on a Jeryn Reese three-pointer with 6:11 to play. The Fordham Rams would score eight if the next ten points and get a 65 – 54 win at the Gola Arena.
“We are pleased with a lot of things we did,” said La Salle Coach Mountain MacGillivray. “We are disappointed that we didn’t come away with a win. They fought. A 15 – 3 run the tie the game against a team that doesn’t give up a lot of points and don’t let people back into games, that was exciting and nice to see.”
The Rams had a 42 – 26 lead midway through the third quarter and appeared to be cruising. The Explorers began a comeback closing the third with a 15 – 3 run to get to within 45 – 41 setting the stage for the final quarter.
After Reese tied the game Rams guard Bre Cavanaugh went on a streak scoring the next 8 points for her team which ended the Explorers chances. La Salle got as close as 5 with 1:37 to play. That would be the last the team would score, and Fordham went 7 of 8 from the line to close it out.
The Explorers shot a season-best 57.1% from the three-point line making 8 of 14. Reese made 3 of 5 from distance on her way to a career-high 15 points and tied her season-high in made three-point baskets. Shalina Miller added inside presence scoring 12 points on 6 of 12 shooting, and took down 9 rebounds while blocking 4 shots. Janay Sanders added 11 points. Overall, La Salle made 39.6% from the floor. The team is showing improvement on offense.
“I feel that we are more competitive on the offensive end,” said Reese. “More people are hungry to score which helps everybody score more. We want to get our teammates open more. We are not selfish on offense.”
Fordham got inside points as their front line of Mary Goulding and Megan Jonassen combined for 25 points and 22 rebounds. Goulding handed out a season-best 7 assists. Jonassen had a career-high 10 rebounds recording her first collegiate double-double. Guard Lauren Holden scored a team and season high 15 points, most off drives and free-throws. Cavanaugh, Fordham’s leading scorer at 17.3 points per game, was limited to 11 points, and 8 of which came in the fourth quarter.
The Rams had a big 43 – 24 advantage in rebounds, 16 – 5 off the offensive glass.
“Fordham crushed us off the boards and that was a major difference in the game, ” said MacGillivray.
The Explorers played without their leading scorer Rayshel Brown who missed the game due to injury leaving the team a bit shorthanded. It did not limit their effort.
La Salle drops to 0 – 8 in the Atlantic 10 and is 3 – 19 overall after their 10th straight loss. But the team is on an upward trend on offense which MacGillivray sees as getting better.
“You take a team if freshman trying to figure out what we do, and now they understand it,” MacGillivray said. “They understand where the shots are coming from and getting them. At the beginning of the year when we shot in the 30’s, it was a party in the locker room. Now, we are consistently getting into the 40’s, but not guarding. We are trying to get both ends together.”
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: Glenn@PhillyCollegeSports.com
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