PHILADELPHIA – Off to a 2-0 start in Atlantic 10 play, the La Salle men's basketball team will host Rhode Island on Wednesday at 7 PM.

Rhode Island Rams (9-8, 0-2 A-10) at La Salle Explorers (9-6, 2-0 A-10)
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 | 7 PM | Tom Gola Arena

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Game Notes
La Salle | Rhode Island

Last Time Out
The Explorers pushed their Atlantic 10 record to 2-0 in their conference road opener, dismantling Duquesne 75-56. The Blue & Gold led by just five at the intermission, however, they ran away with the game in the second half. The Explorers outscored the Dukes 40-26 while shooting 14-of-23 in the second half, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Tyreek Duren paced all players with a season-high 23 points, adding six assists and two steals. Steve Zack notched his A-10 leading eighth double-double of the season netting 13 points and collecting 11 rebounds.
 
Series History
The Explorers have won the last three matchups against Rhode Island dating back to the 2010-11 season. The Blue and Gold knocked off the Rams at the Ryan Center 72-65 last season. Tyreek Duren led all players with 21 points, 14 coming in the second half to lead the Explorers to the seven point road victory. La Salle defeated the Rhode Island 80-66 the last time the teams met at Tom Gola Arena during the 2011-12 season, with five Explorers scoring double figures.

Coach's Corner
Head Coach Dr. John Giannini on...

...his team's performance last week:
We played very well in both games. We had success against two strong opponents. GW is obviously off to a terrific start this year so we feel great about being able to win that game. Duquesne came in with a five-game winning streak and have been playing especially well at home and winning by a large margin so we're very pleased with that result. The common denominator in both games is that our defensive field goal percentage was in the thirties. We're playing hard and playing pretty well defensively. We're a little bit healthier and shooting the ball a little bit better so all those things are welcome things for us.

...the health of Tyreek Duren:
He's his normal self. I'd probably say from the Wagner game forward that he's been more like his normal self and that makes a huge difference for our team. He's playing much better and I think it shows in our results. I think the only game we've lost since that time is at Miami who has gotten on a roll themselves. 

Scouting the Explorers
La Salle ranks third in the conference in free throw percentage (.699), fourth in offensive rebounds/game (12.8), fifth in field goal percentage defense (.426), and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.2).

The Explorer's strong start to conference play has been aided by a healthy Duren, who combined for 36 points and 11 assists against GW and Duquesne. He is tied for first in the A-10 in assist/turnover ratio (2.4) and comes in fourth in minutes/game (35.1). Duren leads the team in assists (57), steals (25), and is second in points/game (13.7).

The squad's leading scorer, senior Tyrone Garland, has strung three efficient scoring games together, posting 46 points over his last three on 17-36 shooting. Backcourt mate, senior Sam Mills, exploded for 17 points against GW and chipped in with 6 at Duquesne on Sunday.

Juniors Jerrell Wright and Steve Zack carry the bulk of the production in the front court. Wright ranks third on the team in scoring (12.7 ppg) and is second in rebounds/game (6.1). He ranks fifth in the A-10 in field goal percentage (.579). Zack leads the conference in rebounds/game (9.3) and ranks fourth in blocks/game (2.1).

Coach's Corner
URI Head Coach Danny Hurley on...

...how to prepare for Duren:
Point guard is a premium position. If you're going to make headway and become a factor in a conference like the A-10 or in basketball in general, you have to get outstanding play from that position. Not only is he smart and settle his team with the confidence he plays with, he's also incredibly dynamic. You can give him the ball at the end of games and he can make plays. He can score, he can create, he defends; he's a total player. He's a guy in preparation you have to attempt to slow down.

Scouting the Rams
Rhode Island enters Wednesday's matchup with an overall record of 9-8, with a 0-2 mark in Atlantic 10 play. The Rams have yet to crack the win column in conference play, dropping a heartbreaker to Saint Louis 59-58 in their conference home opener. The road proved unfriendly as well, as URI lost to George Washington 69-56 in their most recent contest last Saturday.
 
The Rams have had difficulty scoring thus far this season. They average only 67.1 points/game, which is the second lowest mark in the Atlantic 10. They have also failed to crack 60+ points in either of their first two conference games. The Rams will look to rev up the offense against a La Salle squad that has only allowed an average of 62 points/game over its last five contests.
 
Senior guard Xavier Munford is the engine that drives this Rhode Island team. He averages a team leading 15.4 points/game, which is the ninth best mark in the Atlantic 10 this season. He has carried the offense from the perimeter this season. While the team as a whole ranks second from the bottom in the A-10 averaging 4.8 three-point makes per game, Munford has been the lone bright spot from range this season. He has made 28 three-pointers this season, averaging 1.6 three-point makes per game, which is 13^th best in the A-10 this season. He also is fairly active on the boards, pulling down four rebounds/game. He ranks second on the team in assists, dishing out 35 helpers this season.
 
Freshman guard E.C. Matthews and sophomore guard Biggie Minnis join Munford to form a solid backcourt. Matthews has played a major role in his first season in Kinston, R.I. He is second on the team and 25^th in the conference in scoring, averaging 12.1 points/game. He has averaged 4.1 rebounds/game and is tied with Munford also dishing out 35 dimes this season. Minnis has been an excellent creator and distributor for the Rams this season. He leads the Rams and ranks 13^th in the Atlantic 10 averaging 3.0 assists/game. He ranks 12^th in the conference with a 1.4 assist/turnover ratio.
 
Junior forward Gilvydas Biruta paces the frontcourt. He is third on the team in scoring averaging 10.2 points/game. The Lithuania native has been especially strong on the boards. He leads the team and ranks 11^th in the conference pulling down 6.8 rebounds/game.
 
Freshman forward Martin Hassan has been another young contributor for the Rams this season. While his offensive game has been modest, he averages 4.6 points/game, he has been a major defensive presence in the paint. He leads the team by a wide margin swatting 35 shots. Hassan ranks sixth in the conference averaging 2.1 blocks/game. He has also helped clean up the glass, ranking second on the team collecting 4.2 rebounds/game.
 
Up Next
The Explorers will play host to Big 5 rival Temple for a noon tip at The Palestra. ESPN College GameDay will feature the game, with the game being broadcast nationally on ESPN2. The Palestra doors will open at 8:00am with ESPN College GameDay's live broadcast beginning at 10:00am.  Fans must have a ticket to the game to be permitted entry into the Palestra.