Nov. 20, 2010
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PHILADELPHIA - The Explorers survived a second-half surge by Morgan State to defeat the Bears, 79-74, during homecoming on La Salle's campus.
Sophomore Aaric Murray tallied nine blocks to break La Salle's single-game record. He notched his record-breaking eighth with just over a minute to play and then added a ninth with 24 seconds to play. Murray was one block shy of a triple-double, leading the Explorers with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
The previous record was held by Lionel Simmons (vs. American on February 2, 1988) and Ron Barnes (vs. Bowling Green on December 28, 1985.)
"He's expected to be a great player," said head coach Dr. John Giannini of Murray. "To do what you're supposed to do takes focus and effort and he did that out there today... His growth has been tremendous."
Senior Ruben Guillandeaux added 16, while freshman Tyreek Duren had a career-best 14 and five assists.
La Salle now sits 2-0 in the Cancun Challenge, while Morgan State, a No. 15 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament, falls to 0-2 in Challenge games.
The Explorers had control of the game in the first half, going on an 18-2 run and holding the Bears scoreless for nearly four minutes.
A dunk by Murray in the final seconds of the first half extended the Explorers' lead to 17 and La Salle held a 39-22 edge at halftime.
Morgan State went on a run after the break, cutting the score to six five minutes into the second half after a trey by Larry Bastfield. An Aric Brooks layup would tie the game at 44 all.
After being fouled by Ruben Guillandeaux, Justin Jackson gave the Bears a 45-44 lead by sinking his first free throw. Jackson missed the second attempt, but Morgan State corralled the rebound and Gene Johnson laid the ball in to put the Bears up 47-44.
Murray would complete a three point play on the other end to tie the game back up at 49 all. Jackson answered for the Bears with a long three pointer to give the lead back to Morgan State at 52-49.
La Salle registered two straight steals and Tyreek Duren and Sam Mills turned them into four points and a lead for the Explorers.
Devon White gave the Explorers a five-point lead with just under four minutes to play with a wide-open jumper from the corner off a feed from Mills.
Guillandeax would effectively seal the game for La Salle by knocking down a three-point shot on the Explorers' next possession.
"I saw the shot clock winding down and me, being a leader on the team, I felt like we needed that," said Guillandeax. "I think guys look at me in these situations and see how I respond... I feel like by me showing poise, it allows [the team] to relax a little bit."
For Morgan State, Kevin Thompson added a game-high 25 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Justin Black tallied 20 points and a game-high six assists.
The Explorers shot .551 in the game, compared to the Bears' .397 field goal percentage.
The Explorers will travel to Mexico to play their remaining two Cancun Challenge games against Providence on Tuesday and then either Missouri or Wyoming on Wednesday.
