Dec. 3, 2009

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PHILADELPHIA - Senior Rodney Green scored 19 points and dished six assists, both game-highs, to lead La Salle to a 79-67 victory over Lafayette on Thursday night at Tom Gola Arena. Seniors Yves Mekongo and Kimmani Barrett, along with freshman Aaric Murray, each scored 13 points as the Explorers (4-2) placed four players in double-figures for the third time in six games.

La Salle took the lead seven minutes into the contest and never relinquished it, handing Lafayette its third straight loss. As has been the case all season, the hosts controlled the boards (42-26 advantage) and received balanced scoring, with Green leading the way.

The senior point guard connected on 7-for-11 from the floor, including a pair of three's late in the second half after Lafayette cut the deficit to 63-56 after trailing by double-digits for nearly 14 minutes. He then picked up a steal and fed junior Terrell Williams for a layup that returned the advantage to 15 in a little over a minute.

He moved past Larry Foust (1946-50) into 19th place on the all-time scoring list and now has 1,466 points. Next up is Bill Taylor with 1,554 points.

Barrett scored in double-figures for the fourth straight game and collected a game-high eight boards. Murray blocked four shots and added five rebounds, while Jerrell Williams filled the box score with nine points, seven rebounds and four assists.

The Explorers played their second straight game without senior Ruben Guillandeaux, who is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his right foot. He will continue to be evaluated on an ongoing basis. Junior Steve Weingarten, while not a guard like Guillandeaux, received many of the available minutes, scoring six points and grabbed seven boards in 20 minutes.

Lafayette (4-4) was led by Jared Mintz, who scored 14 points and had six rebounds. Tony Johnson and Jeff Kari added 12 and 11, respectively.

The Explorers will remain at home on Sunday when they host Hartford at 2 PM.