Steven Smith closed with a stellar 22 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Paul Johnson flies in for two of his six points.

Darnell Harris throws down a reverse dunk.

Sean Neal delivered a solid 13 minutes.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Despite allowing St. Bonaventure (7-16, 1-11 Atlantic 10) a narrow lead for a good portion of the first half, La Salle (16-7, 8-4) took control of a sloppy game and picked up a 74-62 victory on the strength of four Explorers scoring in double figures.

 

La Salle took a while to get rolling, as the Bonnies held a four-point lead with under 10 minutes to go in the first frame. The Explorers would retain control with a layup by senior Lewis Fadipe (Lagos, Nigeria/Forest Hill). La Salle slowly eeked out a double-digit lead as the clock wore down toward halftime. Sherman Diaz (Diego Martin, Trinidad/Life Center Academy) scored eight first-half points off the bench, including a pair of three-pointers. The sophomore finished with 11 points, tying a career-high.

 

Senior All-America candidate Steven Smith (Philadelphia, PA/Northeast) netted a game-high 22 points, adding six rebounds and six assists. Fellow senior Jermaine Thomas (Frederick, MD/Thomas Johnson) tallied 17 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Sophomore Darnell Harris (Baltimore, MD/St. Francis) chipped in 12 points.

 

The Explorers picked up the win without the services of Marshall Taylor (Philadelphia, PA/West Catholic) and Tabby Cunningham (Philadelphia, PA/St. John Neumann). Taylor suffered a ruptured appendix the night before the game and remains under care of Einstein Medical Center, while Cunningham missed his third straight game after suffering an ankle injury.

 

La Salle needed its bench to step up in the absence of Cunningham and Taylor, and the Explorers reserves outscored their St. Bonaventure counterparts 15-10. Junior guard Sean Neal (Springfield, MA/Salisbury School) played a season-high 13 minutes, scoring two point and grabbing a pair of rebounds. Neal grabbed a board on the defensive glass and went coast-to-coast for a fast-break layup to account for his two points.

 

The Explorers shot 47 percent from the field, compared to the Bonnies' 39 percent, and outrebounded St. Bonaventure 42-40. La Salle will return to action on Saturday, when the Explorers host Dayton at 2:05 p.m.