PHILADELPHIA, PA. 2/9/2020 – For the La Salle Explorers to win the game they would need three-point shooting. For the first half they hit them, but in the second half the Richmond Spiders had more and took home a 67 – 61 victory.
“The three-point shot is a big part of our game,” said La Salle Coach Mountain MacGillivray. “They really clogged the lane and didn’t give a lot of opportunities in the paint. We took the ones that we had, but we have to shoot the ball a little better.”
Neither team was blistering from beyond the arc. The Explorers made 10 of 37 overall (27%). Over the first two quarters the hosts made 6 from deep, 5 in the second quarter. Richmond only converted 1 of 4 before halftime where La Salle took a 30 – 24 lead into intermission. Over the final 20 minutes the Spiders sank 6 of 14 from beyond the arc. The Explorers were 4 for 20.
Richmond took the lead winning the third quarter 23 – 13 for a 47 – 40 lead. In the fourth quarter the Spiders moved out to a 54 – 45 lead. The Explorers got to within two points twice in the stretch, but could not overtake the Spiders.
Another factor working against La Salle was turnovers. There was not a huge disparity in the numbers as the Explorers had 18 and the Spiders 15. But RU made LSU pay for their mistakes by a 25 – 12 margin.
“I am going to have to look at the film and see why it was that way,” MacGillivray said about the point off turnover differential. “I don’t how we got twelve (points) off their fifteen (turnovers), or how they got twenty five off our eighteen.”
Richmond guard Claire Holt, who played a huge role in the win, scored a game-high 20 points. She added 9 rebounds and 2 assists. Jaide Hinds-Clarke and Alex Parson added 12 points each.
Kayla Spruill led La Salle with 14 points. Claire Jacobs scored 13 points and Jordon Lewis added 12.
Shalina Miller posted 8 points, took down 8 rebounds, and blocked a career-high 8 shots. Miller has a program-record 172 blocked shots.
“We wanted the win and as Coach said we could have done some things better to get the win,” Miller said. “I am proud of myself getting the eight.”
Miller, a Philadelphia resident was happy to have her family be there for the record day and Senior Day.
“I wanted to stay close to home and have my family and my Dad in the stands at home games,” said Miller.
Kate Hill dished out 9 assists which tied her highest number in Atlantic 10 games. Hill only turned the ball over twice.
Prior to the game La Salle honored its seniors; Shalina Miller, Carley Lytton who had 6 points, and Sofilia Ngwafang with 2 points and 3 rebounds.
The Explorers fall to 9 – 14 overall and are 3 – 7 in the league. They play at George Washington on Wednesday hoping the three’s fall with more frequency.
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: Glenn@PhillyCollegeSports.com
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