George Washington University
La Salle
Women’s Basketball Returns to A-10 Action, Travels to La Salle Saturday
12/28/2024 12:20:00 PM | Women's Basketball
WASHINGTON – Following a seven-day holiday hiatus, the George Washington women's basketball team returns to action on Sunday afternoon, traveling to La Salle. Tip time is set for 2:00 p.m. in Philly, with live coverage available on ESPN+.
MOTT SHINES IN THE 305
During GW's trip south to the FIU Christmas Classic, graduate forward Paige Mott made herself at home, turning in her best performance in the Buff & Blue en route to a 72-69 victory over Hampton. Mott, who was later named to the event's All-Tournament Team, posted a monster stat line of 16 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the winning effort. Her point and rebound totals marked new bests with GW, and she finished 8-for-8 from the free throw line as well, putting in clutch freebies down the stretch to seal the win. Across the team's two games in Miami, Mott averaged 13 points, eight rebounds and a block in 47 minutes of total action.
RETURNING TO A-10 ACTION
Sunday's contest against the Explorers is the second A-10 matchup for both teams after playing an early conference game at the beginning of December. GW, who hosted local rival George Mason, suffered an 87-55 defeat, while La Salle picked up a 55-45 win against Loyola Chicago. Both teams will enjoy an extra bye during regular conference play this year, providing both programs with extra rest during a busy conference slate. Including Sunday's matchup, both programs will play 17 games the rest of the way, culminating in a trip to Henrico, Va., for the 2025 Atlantic 10 Basketball Championship in early March.
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS
La Salle returns from the holiday break an even 7-7 overall, including the early victory over Loyola Chicago. Led by seventh-year head coach Mountain MacGillvray, the Explorers traveled west from December 20-21, taking part in the UC San Diego Winter Classic, finishing the trip 1-1 with a win over Northern Kentucky and a loss to the host Tritons. MacGillvray holds a 79-111 overall record during his tenure with La Salle, earning 17 wins in 2022-23, his highest for a single season. GW has faired exceptionally well against La Salle all-time, leading the series 39-9. The Buff & Blue posted a 24-game winning streak over La Salle from 1985-2004, tied for the second-longest streak against a single opponent in program history. Thirty-nine wins are also the fifth-most against one team in GW's history.
This season, La Salle is led offensively by Ashleigh Connor, who averages 11.8 points per night. She's second on the team in rebounding at 5.4 per game and also leads the team in assists with 35 (2.9 apg). Aryss Macktoon also averages double-figure scoring at 10.1 points a game to go along with her 4.9 rebounds per game. Macktoon is third in the conference in steals this season, recording 44 thus far and averaging 2.9 a game. The Explorers are paced by Jolene Armendariz on the boards, averaging 5.6 per game.
