Dec. 2, 2008

Box Score | Photo Gallery

Box Score |  Photo Gallery 

PHILADELPHIA, PA – A three-point La Salle lead at halftime surged to as many as 16 points in the second half as the Explorers ran past visiting Bucknell and held on for the 68-65 win in Tom Gola Arena on Tuesday night. Kimmani Barrett (Paterson, NJ/Paterson Catholic) and Rodney Green (Philadelphia, PA/Prep Charter) led the Explorers with double figures each as the team improved to 3-3 overall. Bucknell’s Justin Castleberry led all scorers with 20 points but the Bison fall to 1-5 on the season.

Both teams got off to a sloppy start in the first half en route to a 28-25 halftime score. The Explorers connected on only 10 of their 32 shots and two of nine from beyond the arc. The Bison connected on only 10 of 29 shots and also committed eight of their 10 turnovers in the first stanza.

Terrell Williams (Paterson, NJ/Northfield Mount Hermon) broke a 35-all deadlock at the 17:45 mark in the second half with two quick lay-ups to spark a 23-7 Explorer run to put the home team advantage at 58-42 with just over seven minutes to go. However, the Bison did not fall away easily and chipped away at the 16-point difference to get within four at the 30-second mark on two Darryl Shazier free throws.

Three Barrett free throws down the stretch helped the Explorers hold on for the 68-65 score.

Barrett finished the game with a team-leading 15 points and Green added 11. Vernon Goodridge (Brooklyn, NY/Mississippi State) proved pivotal on the defensive end as he racked up eight rebounds and added three more blocks to his stats.

The Bison had three players in double figures. Castleberry’s 20 came on 5-for-8 three-point shooting. G.W. Boon added 14 and Patrick Behan scored 10.

As a team, the Explorers held a commanding 51-37 advantage in rebounding but committed 18 turnovers to the Bison’s 10.

The Explorers hit the road again for a tilt at Hartford on Saturday (12/6) at 7:00 PM before an eight-day layoff for finals. They return to Gola Arena on Sunday, Dec. 14th, for a 7:00 PM contest against Big Five foe Villanova.