PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — Aryss Macktoon scored 22 points and Ashleigh Connor added 17 as La Salle used a strong start and a stronger finish to hold off Binghamton 70-61 in a nonconference women’s basketball game Monday night at Tom Gola Arena.

A crowd of 1,069 saw the Explorers improve to 19-13 overall, while the Bearcats fell to 20-13.

The game’s decisive stretch came in the final four minutes, as La Salle transformed a precarious four-point lead into a comfortable victory. Leading 61-57, the Explorers clamped down defensively, forcing three consecutive Binghamton shot-clock violations and a turnover over the next two and a half minutes. During that same span, La Salle’s offense executed efficiently. Macktoon hit a pull-up jumper, Amiya Moses converted a layup and was fouled, and Connor sank four crucial free throws in the final 16 seconds to seal the outcome.

The late-game execution was necessary because Binghamton, despite a sluggish offensive performance in the fourth quarter where they managed only nine points, refused to fade. The Bearcats had whittled a 12-point halftime deficit down to four on multiple occasions in the final period, the last time at 61-57 following a Leah Middleton 3-pointer with 6:37 remaining. But the Bearcats would not score again for over five minutes, a drought that proved fatal.

La Salle established control from the opening tip, leading 19-18 after a fast-paced first quarter and extending that advantage to 38-34 by halftime. The Explorers’ backcourt duo of Macktoon, a guard from Baltimore, and Connor, from Pittsburgh, provided consistent scoring, combining for 24 first-half points. Binghamton stayed close behind the interior presence of Kendall Bennett, who finished with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, and the scoring of Middleton, who led the Bearcats with 15 points.

The third quarter was a defensive struggle, with La Salle outscoring Binghamton 13-12. The Bearcats’ defense managed to slow the Explorers’ attack, but their own offense could not find enough rhythm to overtake the hosts, trailing 51-49 heading into the final frame.

Binghamton’s offense, which shot under 30% from the field for the game, went ice cold when it mattered most. The Bearcats missed eight of their final nine field goal attempts and committed four turnovers in the last six minutes. La Salle capitalized, scoring on five of its final seven possessions from the field or the free-throw line.

For La Salle, Joan Quinn provided a vital lift off the bench with 10 points, while Lauren Patnode added nine points, including two key 3-pointers. The Explorers shared the ball effectively, registering 15 assists on 25 made field goals.

Binghamton received contributions from Bella Pucci, who scored 11 points, and Meghan Casey, who dished out four assists. But the Bearcats’ offense, which entered the game averaging over 64 points per contest, was held to its second-lowest output of the season.

The game was a contrast in styles, with La Salle leveraging its guard play and timely outside shooting, connecting on seven 3-pointers. Binghamton relied on its work in the paint, outrebounding La Salle 42-35, but the Explorers’ defense forced 18 Bearcat turnovers and converted them into 19 points.

The victory gives La Salle momentum as it concludes its season, while Binghamton will look to regroup quickly before its next contest. According to Interstat’s ELO system, La Salle was projected with an 83% probability to win.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded between the 4:24 and 1:02 marks of the fourth quarter. With La Salle leading 61-57, Binghamton’s offense completely stalled. The Bearcats committed three consecutive shot-clock violations—at 3:33, 2:30, and 1:35 remaining—and added a turnover by Yanniah Boyd at the 1:35 mark. This nearly four-minute scoring drought coincided with La Salle’s most efficient offensive stretch of the period. The Explorers scored on four consecutive meaningful possessions: a Macktoon pull-up jumper at 3:03, a Moses layup and free throw at 2:04, and two pairs of free throws from Connor in the final 16 seconds. This 9-0 run, fueled entirely by La Salle’s defensive pressure and poise at the line, expanded the lead from 61-57 to 70-61 and removed any doubt about the outcome, transforming a tense, one-possession game into a decisive victory.