WASHINGTON – Entering his ninth season as La Salle’s women’s basketball head coach, Mountain MacGillivray has several key returning pieces by his side, plus six incoming freshmen – the most in the Atlantic 10. The team has no seniors, but the large group of juniors have assumed leadership roles which excite him.
“When you have a young group and some new faces, you don’t know necessarily what you’re going to get,” he said to Field of 68’s Talia Goodman. “For us, the exciting and fun part of this group is they love playing basketball, they love competing, they love bringing in the energy every day. It was not that way every year, so this is exciting, this group really gets it.”
Here is a look at the Explorers:
Coach – Mountain MacGillivray - 9
th season
Last year- La Salle went 19-14 overall and 10-8 in A10 play. The team’s 19 wins marked the program’s most since most since the 2006-07 season, with MacGillivray earning his 100
th career victory in the process. The Explorers compiled a home triumph over eventual conference champion Rhode Island in the regular season and earned a win over Saint Louis in the Betterment Atlantic 10 Tournament. La Salle received the program’s first WNIT berth since 1992, taking down Binghamton to reach the Super 16.
“That momentum was fantastic, it was a lot of fun, I think everybody enjoyed the experience of being in the postseason,” MacGillivray said. “Keeping the team together and kids coming back, that work is done every day by creating an experience they enjoy, an atmosphere they want to play in, coaches they know they can count on to help them get better, solve problems. The atmosphere that La Salle has helped our staff create for these young women is instrumental in having people want to be here.”
They’ll miss- Ashleigh Connor (15.8 ppg/5.5 rpg/44% FG/80.4% FT/66 stls), Aryss Macktoon (15 ppg, 7.6 rpg/40.4% FG/105 stls), Ivona Miljanic (4.3 ppg)
Impact returners- Joanie Quinn (11.2 ppg, 41% FG/82.9% FT), Kiara Williams (9.8 ppg/4.9 rpg/46.3% FG), Amiya Moses (2.7 ppg, 42.7% FG/38 blks)
Newcomers of note- Vivien Nejasmic (6.9 ppg/3.7 rebs at Xavier), six freshmen (most in A10), assistant coaches Molly Masciantonio & Fiona Connolly (both played for MacGillivray at La Salle)
Reasons to be optimistic- La Salle has a quartet of junior leaders in Joanie Quinn, Lauren Patnode, Kiara Williams and Xavier transfer Vivien Nejasmic.
Quinn, who represented the program at Atlantic 10 Media Day, said the time has flown since her freshman year. But she has become a leader for the first-year newcomers, offering both her experience and knowledge on the court.
“It’s fitting that the team takes after her personality,” reflected MacGillivray. “She’s nonstop, she goes really hard and the young kids have just followed that lead. She’s been tremendous this preseason and we’re looking forward to carrying over what she did last year and continuing to improve."
Williams, another member of the junior group, has proven to be a reliable post presence.
“We continue to put the ball in her hands and they’re going to continue to play off her,” MacGillivray determined. “She’s so unselfish with the basketball. It allows us to have the presence of every guard on a team knowing if they throw the ball in her direction, she’s going to come up with it and from there the offense runs a little bit.”
X Factor- Look for sophomore forward Amiya Moses to take on a bigger role in year number two. MacGillivray noted that La Salle lost all five games she did not appear in last season, viewing her defense as a game changer.
Circle the date- La Salle has a Nov. 15 tilt at Virginia Tech, Nov. 24 showdown at Villanova, and Dec. 19 matchup against UC San Diego – three programs which made the NCAA Tournament a season ago.
Bottom line- MacGillivray feels confident regarding his team’s ability to keep growing. The returners are a year older, understand the system, and have meshed well with the new talent.
“This year has been one of my favorites, I do enjoy spending time with all of these girls and our chemistry on the court has reflected that,” Quinn said. “Everyone is coming together and just learning to play together. I think it’s looking pretty good for us.”
Zac Weiss is a college athletics beat writer for Pittsburgh Sports Now, primarily reporting on Duquesne Athletics. Across his career, he has covered over 1,000 A10 sporting events.