RICHMOND, Va. – La Salle men's basketball is back in action on Saturday when they travel to Richmond to take on the Spiders at 4:00pm. The game will be broadcast nationally on the CBS Sports Network.

La Salle Explorers (12-13, 4-7 A-10) at Richmond Spiders (17-9, 7-4 A-10)
Saturday, February 22, 2014 | 4:00 PM | Robbins Center - Richmond, Va.

TV: CBS Sports Network (Brad Johansen, Steve Wolf)
Radio: 990 AM WNTP (Kale Beers, Rich Prendergast)
Audio Web Stream: Click Here (FREE)

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Game Notes
La Salle | Richmond

Last Time Out
The Explorers got off to a roaring start Wednesday evening at Dayton, leading the Flyers 17-7 midway through the first half. However, the Blue and Gold were unable to make it stand up, as the Flyers ended the opening half on a 20-4 run to take a six-point advantage to the break. The Explorers cut the deficit to just two-points in the second half, but could not pull away, ultimately falling to Dayton 65-53. Jerrell Wright continued his strong play with a team leading 15 points.
 
All-Time Series
La Salle is 14-14 against Richmond in program history, so both teams will be fighting for the leg up in bragging rights on Saturday. The Explorers defeated the Spiders 71-59 last season at Tom Gola Arena. The teams battled in a tightly contested first half, however, the Blue and Gold pulled away in the second, coasting to the 12-point victory. Four Explorers scored double-figures in the contest, led by Tyrone Garland's game-high 17. Tyreek Duren packed the stat sheet with15 points, seven assists, seven rebounds and four steals.
 
Scouting the Explorers
Junior forward Jerrell Wright has been a force for the Explorers in recent contests. He has led the team in scoring in each of the last four games, while he has averaged 17.0 points/game and 8.75 rebounds/game over the stretch. On the season, he ranks 21^st in the conference in scoring at 12.8 points/game and 16^th in rebounding at 6.3 per game. He is tough to stop once he gets within range of the basket, ranking 8^th in the conference in field goal percentage (55.5%).
 
Complimenting Wright down low is center Steve Zack. The junior has enjoyed a breakout season for the Blue and Gold, leading the conference and ranking 8^th nationally with 13 double-doubles on the season. He pulled down ten rebounds against Dayton and continues to lead the conference by more than a whole rebound per game, averaging 9.7 boards/game.
 
Senior guard Tyreek Duren has been La Salle's heart and soul this season. He leads the Explorers and ranks 14^th in the conference in scoring, averaging 14.4 points/game. He also paces the Explorers and ranks 9^th in the conference in assists, dishing 3.6 dimes per contest. On the defensive end, he frequently has bested some of the A-10's best guards, ranking fourth in the conference with 1.7 steals/game. Duren's energy is also unquestionable, as he ranks second in the conference averaging nearly 36 minutes/game.
 
The Explorers will look to get Sam Mills going from three-point range. Mills has knocked down a three-pointer in three of his last four games, but has not made more than one in a game since the matchup against Duquesne on 2/1. He has been one of the most potent three-point shooters in the conference this season, ranking 9^th in three-point shooting percentage going 39-of-97 (40.2%).
 
Scouting the Spiders
Richmond had a three-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday evening, falling 73-65 to George Washington. The Spiders enter Saturday's matchup with La Salle with an overall record of 17-9 and a 7-4 mark in Atlantic 10 play. They are an extremely tough matchup at home, posting an 11-3 mark at the Robbins Center this season.
 
The Spiders are not a potent offensive team, but they are effective by taking care of the basketball and playing stout on the defensive end. Richmond ranks 3^rd in the Atlantic 10 in scoring defense, giving up just 66.0 points/game. They rank 2^nd in terms of shooting percentage defense, holding opponents to just 41.0% shooting from the field this season. The Spiders also rank 2^nd in the conference in turnover margin at a +3.04.
 
Junior guard Kendall Anthony has enjoyed a strong season for the Spiders ranking 8^th in the conference in scoring at 15.8 points/game. However, he has stepped his game up another notch since conference play has began. Anthony leads the conference in scoring in conference games this season, averaging just shy of 20-points per contest (19.5). He rarely misses from the charity stripe, ranking 4^th in the A-10 making 81.3%. Anthony is also the Spiders most potent threat from range, making 67 shots from beyond the arc this season.
 
Up Next
The Explorers will return home to conclude the month of February, welcoming St. Bonaventure next Wednesday evening for a 7:00pm tip at Tom Gola Arena.