Box Score
Box Score (PDF) | Inside the Game Column: Gola Honored As La Salle Beats Duquesne

PHILADELPHIA – La Salle men's basketball got back on the winning track on Saturday afternoon, snapping their three-game losing streak with a 71-63 victory over Duquesne at Tom Gola Arena.
 
"That was a hard fought win," head coach Dr. John Giannini said post-game. "You look at them taking Saint Louis down to the last seconds. You look at them beating St. Bonaventure in the last seconds and going on the road and beating NJIT. They've been playing very well.
 
Junior center Steve Zack extended his Atlantic 10 conference lead by posting his 12^th double-double of the season. He paced five Explorers who notched double-figures, netting a season-high 16 points (7-of-13 FG; 2-of-2 FT) and pulled down 16 rebounds.
 
"That's just the flow of the game," Zack remarked post-game. "That's just how we play as a team, we just pass to the open guy and today I was the open guy."
 
Senior guard Tyreek Duren added 13 points (4-of-9 FG; 2-of-5 3PT; 3-of-4 FT), ten of which came in the decisive second half, while also dishing three assists.
 
It was an emotional Saturday afternoon, as the Explorers returned home for their first-game since the passing of university basketball legend Tom Gola, for which their home-court is named. The players sported commemorative #15 patches to honor the fallen icon, while tributes were paid to the four-time All-American and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer during pre-game ceremonies and halftime.
 
"He meant a lot [to the program]," Duren said. "Some of the things he did, I don't think anybody will ever do again in basketball. He's legend at La Salle, as well as in the city."
 
"He's a once in a type person," Giannini added. "Words really don't do him justice."
 
The Explorers looked as though they were playing with a heavy heart in the early going. They did not find the bottom of the basket through the first four-minutes of the game and only mustered 14 points through the game's first 13-minutes and 15 seconds.
 
Micah Mason took advantage of the Explorers shooting futility by knocking down back-to-back three-pointers to send the Dukes to their largest lead of the game at 20-14 with 7:24 to go.
 
The Explorers began to find their legs down the stretch on the backs of Jerrell Wright and Tyrone Garland. Wright netted five straight points for the Blue and Gold to pull them within two at 21-19. The last eight points were scored by Garland, as he began to find cracks in the Duquesne interior defense. Overall, the Explorers finished the half on a 13-5 run to snag a 27-25 halftime lead.
 
"True confidence comes from results," Giannini said. "When we made a few shots at the end of the first half and the start of the second half you could see the confidence building."
 
La Salle continued to attack the Duquesne interior to begin the second session. Behind three buckets from Steve Zack and a bucket and pair of free-throws from Jerrell Wright, the Explorers opened the half on a 10-2 run to swell their advantage to ten.
 
Duquesne attempted to hang in the game by repeatedly feeding the ball to Ovie Soko, the conferences second leading scorer at 18.2 points/game. Soko poured in 17 points in the second half, finishing with a game-high 23 points (9-of-17 FG; 0-of-1 3PT; 5-of-6 FT).
 
"[Soko] is like an impossible matchup, he is so tough," Giannini said. "Fortunately, I think we matched up well on the other guys."
 
Tra'Vaughn White would add all 13 of his points in the second half, but the Explorers held strong down the stretch. Duquesne would not close the gap closer than the final score differential of eight the rest of the way.
 
The Blue and Gold drilled 5-of-13 three's in the second half, including three by senior guard Sam Mills. Mills would finish with 10 points (3-of-9 3PT; 1-of-2 FT).
 
La Salle would hit 8-of-10 free-throws to close out the victory.
 
The Explorers return to action on Wednesday evening when they travel to Amherst to take on #19/#21 UMass. Opening tip is scheduled for 7:00pm and the game will be broadcast nationally on the CBS Sports Network.