LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis University women's basketball returns home for their second and final non-conference home game of the season. The Red Flash are hosting their Toy Drive, where fans can bring a new or gently used toy and receive half off a general admission ticket. All toys will be donated to Toys for Tots.
 
Saint Francis Quick Hits
» Jada Dapaa has a conference-leading 8.3 rebounds per game and has three 12-rebound games through the team's first six games.
» Jenna Mastellone scored a season-high 15 points against Bucknell, one point shy of her career-high.
» Kaitlyn Maxwell has two 15-plus point games this season, including a career-high 21 against Temple.
» Sophomore Aaliyah Moore started her first collegiate game on Wednesday at Bucknell. Mastellone started her first game of the season and 15th of her career.
 
Scouting La Salle
The Explorers enter Saturday's contest with a 4-3 record and have won three of their last four games, their only loss in that span 74-52 at then-20th ranked Kentucky. They are led by senior Kayla Spruill, who is averaging 15 points per game, 10.6 rebounds per game, 13 steals and six blocks. Her rebounds rank third and her steals rank seventh in the Atlantic 10. Sophomore Jaye Haynes is second on the team with 11.1 points per game and 12 steals. Spruill and junior Claire Jacobs were selected to the A-10 All-Conference Second and Third Team, respectively. On the season, Jacobs has eight points per game and is shooting just 24.7 percent from the field.
 
Last Time Out
The Red Flash fell at Bucknell 68-31 after they scored only 13 points in the second half. Saint Francis had an early 11-5 lead before Bucknell's Carly Krsul beat the first-quarter buzzer and gave the Bison a 12-11 lead. The Bison then outscored the Red Flash 20-7 in the second quarter and Jenna Mastellone scored all-seven points before they pulled away in the second half. Mastellone finished the game with a season-high 15 points and converted two and-one opportunities. Jada Dapaa produced her third 12-rebound performance of the season and extended her conference-leading total to 8.3 per game.   
 
All-Time vs. La Salle
The Red Flash and the Explorers will meet for the second time in matchup history. La Salle won the first meeting between the programs, 76-68, in 2020. Jenna Mastellone led the game for Red Flash returners with 11 points, while Sam Miller added 10. Jada Dapaa was second on the team with six rebounds. La Salle's current team-leader in points and rebounds, Kayla Spruill, had 28 points and 10 rebounds in the victory. The first game was played at Tom Gola Arena in Philadelphia, home of the Explorers.    
 
Red Flash Picked Third in NEC Preseason Poll
Saint Francis was picked to finish third in the 2021-22 NEC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll. The Red Flash trail Mount St. Mary's, unanimously selected to win the conference, and Wagner. Sacred Heart and Fairleigh Dickinson rounded out the top-five voting. Mount St. Mary's won the NEC in 2020-21 after defeating Wagner, 70-38.
 
Dapaa, McLemore Named Team Captains
Seniors Jada Dapaa and Jordan McLemore were named captains, selected by their teammates. Both will serve as captain for the first time, McLemore serving her captaincy in her first season with the Red Flash. "We opened up voting this year to our players," said head coach Keila Whittington. "She [McLemore] earned that respect from the work she put in during the summer."
 
2021-22 Non-Conference Schedule Highlighted by Two Power Five Opponents
The Red Flash non-conference schedule features marquee matchups against Georgia and West Virginia. Georgia finished the 2020-21 season ranked 10th, while West Virginia finished 17th in the Associated Press Poll. MAC opponents Toledo and Kent State and AAC opponent Temple join the group of notable non-conference opponents.
 
Taylor Returns to Saint Francis as Assistant Coach
Former Red Flash forward Brooklyn Taylor rejoined the program as an assistant coach in May 2021. She previously spent the past three seasons with Akron and two seasons at Mercer after her 2016 graduation from Saint Francis. As a player, Taylor appeared in 70 games across four seasons with the Red Flash.
 
Brown Named to Red Flash Coaching Staff
Assistant coach Erika Brown joined the Red Flash staff in May 2021 after previously coaching at Harcum College, Stony Brook and Florida International. During her time with Stony Brook in 2019-20, she assisted a team that went 28-3 and won the America East Championship. They were poised for a NCAA Tournament run before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a player at Delaware, Brown ranked 10th in program history with 1,402 career points.
 
The Red Flash Return Two Starters, Three Others with Saint Francis Starting Experience
Kaitlyn Maxwell and Lili Benzel return after starting 22 and 18 games, respectively. Jenna Mastellone (six), Jada Dapaa (three) and Sam Miller (one) also bring starting experience to the 2021-22 season. Benzel, Mastellone and Dapaa all averaged more than 22 minutes per game. Dapaa led the team with 8.6 rebounds-per-game, which ranked second in the NEC. Benzel had an NEC-leading 48 made three-point shots and team-leading 36.1 percent from three. She has a chance to reach the Saint Francis top-10 rankings in just three seasons with the team. Mastellone's 105-career appearances with Saint Francis is 47 more than second-most on the team (Dapaa, 58). Maxwell and Miller will fill larger roles with three key departures after averaging 18.6 and 15.8 minutes-per-game, respectively.
 
Five Newcomers Added
The Red Flash welcomed five new members, one transfer, Jordan McLemore, and four freshman, Layla Laws, Maria McConnell, Adison Novosel and Nyla Rozier. McLemore, a senior, comes from Hartford where she was fifth in the America East with 95 assists in 2019-20. The four freshman all stand 5-foot-11 or taller and have two forwards and two guards. McConnell grew up in Nanty Glo, Pa. and played basketball at Blacklick Valley, 20 minutes away from Saint Francis.
 
Next
The Red Flash travel to Toledo for an 11 a.m. tip-off on Wednesday, Dec. 8. The game will mark the first of six-straight away games.