Jermaine Thomas finished with 14 points.

Lewis Fadipe scored a pair of points in the Explorers win.

Freshman Paul Johnson scored 10 points.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Senior forward Steven Smith (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast) posted 31 points and 13 rebounds, earning his first double-double of the season, as the Explorers defeated American, 75-63, at Tom Gola Arena.  La Salle is off to its first 2-0 start since the 2002-03 season.

The Explorers trailed by two at the half in a tight back-and-forth game. With the score tied at 45 and under 15 minutes to play, Smith made a play that seemed to swing the game's momentum to the Explorers for good. Senior Jermaine Thomas (Frederick, MD/Thomas Johnson) shot an airball that was headed out of bounds under the net. Smith kept the play alive with a miraculous diving underhand toss that sailed the ball toward Tabby Cunningham (Philadelphia, PA/St. John Neumann). Cunningham dished the ball to Lewis Fadipe (Lagos, Nigeria/Forest Hill School), who drove home a dunk to put La Salle up by two.

Two minutes later, Smith struck again, this time spinning past a defender and banking a shot in off the glass to stretch the lead to four. Smith was 12-for-23 from the field. Seven off his boards came on the defensive end of the court.

For the second-straight game three Explorers scored in double-figures, with Thomas and freshman Paul Johnson (Washington, DC/Gonzaga) accompanying Smith. Thomas netted 14 points, including a pair of treys, and Johnson chipped in 10 points.

Brayden Billbe and Garrison Carr led American, scoring 13 points each. La Salle outrebounded the Eagles by a 36-32 margin.

The Explorers will return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 30, when they host Mount St. Mary's at 7:00 p.m.