PHILADELPHIA, PA- The La Salle University Explorers (7-11, 2-3 A-10) seesawed
through nine lead changes but could not hold on as the squad fell 81-74 to the Saint Louis University Billikens (11-8, 2-3 A-10) on Saturday at Tom Gola Arena. La Salle was led by Yves Mekongo Mbala (Elizabeth, NJ/ St. Patrick's) with 18 points and four rebounds, while freshman Jerrell Williams (Paterson, NJ/ Northfield Mt. Hermon) had his sixth career double double with 14 points and 11 boards.
La Salle's Mekongo Mbala started off by hitting two three-pointers in the first five minutes of play. Senior Darnell Harris (Baltimore, MD/ St. Frances Academy) hit a three at the 14:36 mark to put the Explorers on top 13-12. Harris had 13 points on the day.
Junior Paul Johnson (Washington, D.C./ Gonzaga) converted two free throws to tie the game 26-26. La Salle held the lead for the next six minutes as Jerrell Williams scored five of his 11 first-half points with a quick spurt to push the La Salle lead to 33-28 as he banked in a jumper and was fouled in the process, but could not convert the free throw as the blue and gold stayed ahead 35-32
SLU's Danny Brown knocked down a trey to tie it up at 35 apiece with two minutes to go and Kevin Lisch hit a wide-open three under the one-minute mark to give the Billikens a 38-35 lead heading into the half. Lisch led had a game-high 22 points.
The Billikens opened up the second half with a trey by Lisch, but La Salle's Harris nailed a long three-pointer- was fouled in the process and sank the free throw to make it a four-point play. Harris hit another field goal just one minute later to get the Explorers back in the action 41-41.
Mekongo Mbala shelled out another three as the Explorers continued to stay just one step behind the Billikens at 46-47. Johnson drove hard to the basket and got the shot to fall for his ninth and final score of the day.
La Salle turned the ball over 13 times, which hurt the Explorers down the stretch.
Freshman Darryl Partin (Seattle, WA/Charis Prep) knocked down a three at the 10:00 mark to give the Explorer's their first lead of the second half at 60-58.
Mekongo Mbala inched his way to the basket for a score to tie it at 64 all, but the Billikens came right back to score.
SLU went on an 8-0 run to push their lead to 72-64, but sophomore Rodney Green (Philadelphia, PA/Prep Charter) came through with a reverse lay-up to shorten the gap.
Down 77-70 with less than one minute remaining, the Explorers got a quick lay-up from Green but a traveling violation would give the ball back to Saint Louis and made free-throws by the Billikens would end La Salle chances for a win as the blue and gold fell 81-74.
Next for La Salle will be a home match-up against Saint Bonaventure on Wednesday, January 30th at 7:00 PM.
