Dec. 21, 2007

Box Score

Guaynabo, PR - The La Salle University Explorers (4-5) rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to lead several times in the second half before dropping an 84-77 loss to undefeated Mississippi (10-0) in the second round of the San Juan Shootout on Friday night at Morales Coliseum.

 

Five Explorers reached double-figures in scoring including sophomores Rodney Green (Philadelphia, PA/Prep Charter) and Yves Mekongo Mbala (Elizabeth, NJ/St. Patrick's) who each scored 15 points.

 

La Salle trailed 42-29 at halftime before cutting the lead to seven points at 48-41 on a Darnell Harris (Baltimore, MD/St. Frances) two minutes and 26 seconds into the second half.   The Rebels responded immediately, however, and built a pair of 12-point leads before the Explorers were able to mount a sustained run.

 

After Sherman Diaz (Diego Martin, Trinidad & Tobago) scored on a lay-up with 11:42 to play the Explorers tied the game at 56-56.  Ruben Guillandeaux (Brooklyn, NY/St. Patrick's) made a lay-up 14 seconds later to give the Explorers their first lead, 58-56, since being up 17-16 in the first half.  They opened the game with a 15-9 before Ole Miss went on a 17-4 run.

 

The teams would then swap the lead three times before Ole Miss capitalized on a Dwayne Curtis lay-up to build a 67-62 lead with 6:34 to play which they would hang onto.

 

The Explorers shot just 15-23 from the free throw line (65%) in their first game against a Southeastern Conference opponent since 1999 (Alabama).

 

The Rebels scored 19 points on offensive rebounds while La Salle earned 12 second chance points.

 

The Explorers complete play at the San Juan Shootout with a 3:00 PM (EST) tip-off against the Big East's DePaul on Saturday afternoon.