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PHILADELPHIA – La Salle men's basketball took home its  fifth straight victory Saturday afternoon, knocking off  Big 5 rival Temple, 74-68, at The Palestra. The win pushed the Explorers record to 2-1 in the Big 5, keeping their hopes for a share of the Big 5 title alive.

Senior guard Tyreek Duren paced the Explorers with 20 points (6-of-12 FG; 3-of-5 3-PT; 5-of-5 FT) and dished a game-high seven assists. He knocked down a pair of free throws with 15.8 seconds remaining to stretch the Explorer lead to four, en route to the six-point victory.
 
"I know for me this an especially great win," Duren said postgame. "I think the way we pulled that game out really means a lot to us as a team and to the La Salle community as a whole."
 
Senior Tyrone Garland put the finishing touches on the victory, knocking down a pair of free-throws with 8.1 seconds remaining to seal the victory for the Blue and Gold (11-6). Garland finished 17 points, also dishing two assists.
 
Today's matchup had been circled on the calendar for months. All Big 5 games hold special meaning in this tradition rich basketball city. However, with ESPN's College GameDay featuring the much-anticipated matchup, broadcasting the season premier of the celebrated pregame show from center court of the hallowed arena, this game had the feeling of so much more than your run of the mill January non-conference tilt.
 
Fans of both teams packed the gym nearly four hours before opening tip, to cheer on their respective squads. At times it got so loud that one could hardly discern whether a game was going on or not, as students waved signs behind the College GameDay set. They would only get louder once the game finally got underway.
 
"What a great atmosphere," head coach Dr. John Giannini said postgame. "It was an awesome experience, there is nothing else like it."
 
The Explorers made a concerted effort to grind the ball down low early and often against the depleted Owls. Temple only played two players off their short bench.
 
Steve Zack was a force in the paint yet again for the Explorers, posting a double-double for the third consecutive game with ten points and 15 boards. It was his tenth double-double of the season, extending his Atlantic 10 Conference lead. He went pound for pound with excellent Owl forward Anthony Lee, more than holding his own.
 
"It was a really physical matchup," Zack said. "I challenged myself to play hard against him. I played well in my own right, but [Lee] was extraordinary too."
 
"It was vintage Steve Zack," Giannini remarked.
 
Jerrell Wright added 15 points, despite being limited to 21 minutes with some foul trouble.
 
As has been the case so often this season, the Explorers jumped out to the early by going inside. Wright drained a baby hook in the lane and Duren made an athletic bucket plus the foul, driving coast to coast off of a steal, to send the Explorers off and running leading 10-5 at the first media timeout.
 
The Owls (5-11, 2-1 Big 5) offense quickly settled in after the initial flurry by the Explorers. Temple clawed back into it on the backs of sophomore guard Quenton DeCosey and junior forward Anthony Lee. They combined for nine straight points to pull the Owls within a point.
 
DeCosey finished with a game high 21 points, while also dishing three helpers. Lee finished with a monster game, posting a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds.
 
While DeCosey and Lee pulled Temple even, the Owls looked to their senior scoring leader Dalton Pepper to put them over the hump. Pepper drained three triple's as part of a 14-6 run to push the Owls to a 28-23 advantage at the under eight-minute media timeout.
 
It was at this point that the Explorers snatched control of the game, through the play of their defense. Trailing by five after a bucket from Lee made the score 31-26 in favor of Temple, the La Salle defense brought the Owl offense to a screeching halt, holding the Owls scoreless over the final 4:11 of the half. This sparked a 10-0 run by the Explorers to close the half, turning a five-point deficit into a five-point advantage at the intermission. The Owls would not lead or tie the game again.
 
The Explorers threatened to pull away several times in the second half; three times swelling the lead to 11, but each time the Owls would counter punch. A 6-0 run by the Owls cut the lead to five at the under eight-minute media timeout. Lee shrunk the deficit to four with a put back with 2:42 to go, and suddenly what seemed like a runaway victory was a slim two-possession game.
 
La Salle put the ball in the hands of their senior leaders Duren and Garland down the stretch and they did not disappoint. Garland drilled a teardrop contested fade away as the shot clock was expiring and Duren nailed a huge three to help preserve the fading lead where every point was crucial. Both players nailed a pair of free throws to seal the victory.
 
"You need guys who make plays and Tyreek and Tyrone are just terrific playmakers," Giannini said.
 
The Explorers return to action Wednesday evening, looking to maintain their perfect A-10 record at St. Bonaventure. Opening tip is scheduled for 9:00 pm, with the game being broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.