Hartford Hawks at La Salle Explorers
Date: Saturday, December 31
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Tom Gola Arena
Radio: WNTP 990 AM
 
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The following ticket deals are in place for the next three home men's basketball games, including Saturday: Students, get two free tickets with your ID. Faculty/staff: Get a free ticket with your ID and guest tickets are $5 each. General public: Buy one ticket, get one free. 

PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle men's basketball team will look to wrap up 2011 with a New Year's Eve battle with visiting Hartford on Saturday at 2 PM at Tom Gola Arena. A win would give the Explorers 10 wins, the most by a La Salle team in non-conference play and the most before the turn of the New Year during head coach Dr. John Giannini's tenure.   
 
Scouting the Explorers (9-4)

La Salle comes into the contest having won seven of its last eight games, the best eight-game stretch since the 1989-90 team won a school-record 22 games. The 2005-06 edition also had a 7-1 record during an eight-game stretch twice during that season.

The Explorers set a Gola Arena record with their eighth straight win in the facility on Thursday with a 70-53 victory over Boston University. Sophomore Tyreek Duren just missed a career-high with 23 points and added seven rebounds and five assists.

LU ranks in the top 35 nationally in five different categories, including being ranked 19^th in three-point percentage (.407). Speaking of shooting the ball from long distance, La Salle is 91-for-191 (47.6%) from three –point range in its nine wins and 17-for-78 (21.7%) in its four losses.

The Blue and Gold are undefeated when reaching the 70-point plateau (9-0) and are 8-1 when making at least eight three's.

Junior Ramon Galloway continues to lead the team in scoring at 14.8 ppg. and leads the A-10 in threes/game with 2.7. Senior Earl Pettis (13.4 ppg.), Duren (12.9 ppg.) and sophomore Sam Mills (12.4 ppg.) also score in double-figures for the Explorers. Mills missed the BU game with an injured ankle and is day-to-day.

Scouting the Hawks (0-11)

Hartford is off to an 0-11 start and has not played in 10 days when it dropped a 89-86 double-overtime game at Marist. Its last two games have been decided by a total of six points. Andres Torres leads three Hawks in double-figures at 10.9 ppg., followed by Wes Cole (10.4 ppg.) and Nate Sikma (10.1 ppg.). Sikma had 23 points in the Marist loss.
 
Hartford head coach John Gallagher coached five seasons (1999-03) at La Salle under Speedy Morris and Billy Hahn. His sister Ann played women's basketball at La Salle from 1993-97 and is third all-time in assists.
 
Series History
 
La Salle leads the all-time series 3-0 and is 1-0 at Gola Arena. Senior Devon White was the only Explorer to suit up the last time these two teams met, a 75-62 victory in the 2009-10 season.
 
Next Up
La Salle will begin Atlantic 10 play on Wednesday when it welcomes Xavier to Gola Arena for a 6 p.m. tip-off. The game will be broadcast locally on The Comcast Network.