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PHILADELPHIA – Redshirt sophomore Cleon Roberts led three players in double-figures with 15 points as La Salle downed Drexel, 65-55, on Saturday afternoon at the Daskalakis Center. Fellow redshirt sophomore Jordan Price added 11 while redshirt junior Rohan Brown came off the bench with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
"We knew it was going to be a real hard game," head coach Dr. John Giannini said. "You know Bruiser's teams are going to be very good defensively and there's not going to be anything easy."
 
Redshirt junior Khalid Lewis scored eight points and tied a career-high with seven assists. Redshirt freshman Amar Stukes also scored eight points.
 
Roberts and Brown gave the Explorers a burst off the bench. Roberts, the Georgia Southern transfer, posted a season-best 15 points and added four rebounds and two steals.
 
"It wasn't me, it was my teammates," Roberts said. "They found me in the open spots today."
 
Brown, after playing just nine minutes in the previous three games, recorded his second double-double as a collegian in 29 minutes of action. He shot 4-for-6 from the field, took turns guarding Drexel sharpshooter Damion Lee, and only committed one turnover.
 
La Salle held a 34-16 advantage in points off the bench.
 
The Explorers improved to 5-4 and managed to out-rebound Drexel, 39-34, despite seniors Jerrell Wright and Steve Zack being limited to 14 and 16 minutes, respectively, due to foul trouble. Zack did bring down seven boards in his 16 minutes of play.
 
Defensively, La Salle continued to clamp down on its opposition, forcing 16 turnovers and holding the Dragons to 39.2% shooting. La Salle has held its opponents to an average of 55.0 ppg. in its five wins.
 
Damion Lee paced Drexel (2-6) with 19 points while Tavon Allen chipped in with 14.
 
Neither team could get much going offensively in the early going, with La Salle leading 5-4 after nearly nine minutes of play. The Dragons missed 13 consecutive field goals before a Lee jumper with 6:53 until halftime made it 12-8, Explorers.
 
Leading 20-15 with just over four minutes to play, the Explorers finished the half on a 13-7 run with a Lewis jumper at the buzzer giving the visitors a 33-22 advantage at the break.
 
Drexel came out hot in the second stanza, scoring the first eight points of the half, to cut it to a 33-30 game. DU would get no closer, as La Salle went on a 14-3 run with two three-pointers by Price highlighting the spurt to take a 44-33 advantage. The lead would stretch to 13 points in the second half.
 
The Explorers, making their first trip to the DAC since 1983, improved to 21-4 all-time against the Dragons and have won six straight in the series.
 
"It was exciting, especially after this long break and finals, to get back on the court and get a win after losing a tough one to Temple," Brown said.
 
The Explorers are now 60-3 when leading with five minutes to play since the beginning of the 2011-12 season. La Salle is also 16-7 during winter break over the same span.
 
"After losing four, albeit to outstanding teams, it's great to come in after finals week and go on the road, and play a highly-motivated, good defensive team," Giannini said.
 
La Salle hosts American on Tuesday at 7 PM. The game will be streamed online via campusinsiders.com.