Feb. 26, 2009

Box Score | Complete Release in PDF Format

PHILADELPHIA - Rodney Green scored 22 points and Kimmani Barrett added 20 to lift La Salle past Temple, 70-63, at the Liacouras Center on Thursday night in Big 5 and Atlantic 10 action. The Explorers (15-12, 6-7 Atlantic 10) captured their third Big 5 win of the season.

Green went 8-for-12 from the field including 3-for-3 from behind the arc to notch his 11th 20-point performance of the season. He also dished out a game-high eight assists and pulled down four rebounds.

Barrett hit eight of 11 free throws to lift him to 20 points. Darryl Partin chipped in six first half points on two 3-pointers.

Dionte Christmas led the Owls with 19 points and Sergio Olmo chipped in 14. The Explorers held Lavoy Allen to eight points. Allen pulled down a game-high 12 caroms. The Explorers snapped a five-game winning streak for the Owls.

The Explorers gained the lead for good with 7:40 remaining when Green hit a trey on a feed from Vernon Goodridge. Green capped a 10-4 run with a three at the 2:13 mark. Allen made it a one-point game with a minute remaining, but that was the closest the Owls got down the stretch.

Paul Johnson hit the first of two free throws with 34 seconds left and Goodridge blocked a Semaj Inge layup six seconds later to seal the game.

Steve Weingarten, who made the first start of his Explorer career, scored the first bucket of the game on a layup 36 seconds into play. Temple's Ryan Brooks answered with the first of his three treys. He hit for 11 first half points, nine of which were from 3-point range.

Neither team pulled away in the first half as the largest lead either team enjoyed was five points with five lead changes. The Owls took a 34-31 lead into the break.

The Explorers return to Tom Gola Arena on Sunday (3/1) for a 5:00 PM contest against Massachusetts. The game will be broadcast on CBS College Sports.