PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - La Salle men's basketball will look to hand Saint Louis its first conference loss of the season Saturday evening when the welcome the #13/15 Billikens to Tom Gola Arena. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.

#13/15 Saint Louis Billikens (21-2, 8-0 A-10) at La Salle Explorers (12-10, 4-4 A-10) 
Saturday, February 8, 2014 | 5 PM | Tom Gola Arena

TV: ESPN2 (John Saunders, Tim Legler '88)
Radio: 990 AM WNTP (Kale Beers, Steve Degler)
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Game Notes
La Salle | Saint Louis

Last Time Out
The Explorers dropped a matchup against Massachusetts 79-67 on Wednesday evening at the Mullins Center. The Blue and Gold outscored the Minutemen 40-36 in the second half, but it was the first half that did in La Salle. Massachusetts shot 16-of-29 (55.2%) in the opening half, including 5-of-7 (71.4%) from beyond the arc, putting the Explorers in a 16-point halftime hole from which they could not recover.
 
Scouting the Explorers
La Salle ranks middle of the pack in the Atlantic 10 in most categories, but may want to focus play to the interior on both ends of the court. The Explorers rank fourth in A-10 play in free-throw percentage, going 136-of-193 (70.5%) from the charity stripe in A-10 games. Getting to the foul-line will be a major element to this game, especially if the Explorers want to test the Billikens depth.
 
On the defensive end, they will want to keep Saint Louis from getting open looks on the perimeter. The Billikens have been potent (36.2%) from three-point range in conference play. The Explorers would like to filter play towards their outstanding interior defense. La Salle ranks fifth in the conference in blocks, averaging 4.4 per game in conference play.
 
Senior guard Tyreek Duren continues to pace the Explorers offensively. He is averaging 14.5 points/game overall, but has been even stronger in conference play ranking eighth in the A-10 averaging 16.3 points/game. He has also been a solid creator for the Explorer attack; ranking tied for 13^th with teammate Tyrone Garland, averaging 3.0 assists/game in conference play. Duren also has been a major presence on the defensive end; he is tied for fourth in A-10 play averaging 1.6 steals/game. He has swiped ten over his last four games.
 
Senior guard Tyrone Garland joins Duren to form a strong punch in the Explorer backcourt. He ranks 16^th in the conference, averaging 13.9 points/game. He has been mired in mini-scoring slump over his last three games since scoring a career high 30 against VCU, but has still been a great creator for the Explorer offense. He has dished out 11 assists over his last three games, including a season high six against Duquesne last Saturday.
 
Junior forward Jerrell Wright has turned a corner in recent games after suffering from a scoring slump earlier in January. He has scored double-figures in three of his last four, including a team-high 16 against Massachusetts Wednesday evening. He currently ranks ninth in the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage, shooting at a 102-of-182 (56.0%) clip.
 
Junior center Steve Zack continues to be a force inside for the Explorers. He leads the conference in rebounding, averaging 9.6 boards/game. He averages just shy of double-figures, adding 9.5 points/game. Zack leads the conference with 12 double-doubles this season. He has also been a major presence in the defensive interior for the Explorers. Zack ranks fourth in the conference for blocks, averaging 2.4 blocks/game in conference play. Although he was kept off the stat sheet at Massachusetts, he had ten blocks over the previous three games.
 
Redshirt sophomore guard Khalid Lewis has thrived in an expanded role in recent games. He has averaged 21.25 minutes per game over his last four contests. Lewis notched a season high 10 points and six assists in 28 minutes of action against Massachusetts.
 
Scouting the Billikens
Saint Louis looks poised to follow up their 2013 Atlantic 10 Championship with at the very least a regular season crown. The Billikens have been the class of the Atlantic 10 this season, entering Saturday's matchup with a 21-2 overall record and a perfect 8-0 record in the Atlantic 10. They are coming off of a comfortable 65-49 victory at Saint Joseph's on Wednesday night.

The Billikens have won 15 consecutive victories heading into Saturday's matchup at Tom Gola Arena. Their winning streak is currently the fourth longest active streak in NCAA Division I; trailing only Wichita State, Syracuse, and San Diego State. They are currently ranked 13^th in the AP Poll and 15^th in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
 
The defense sets the tone for this Saint Louis squad. They rank first in the Atlantic 10 in scoring defense (58.6 points/game) and field goal percentage defense (38.7%). In conference play the defense has allowed opponents to shoot an even lower percentage (37.9%). The perimeter defense has limited opponents to a miniscule 27.5% from beyond the arc this season. The Billikens also rank second in the conference in steals, averaging 8.0 steals/game.
 
Senior forward Dwayne Evans has paced the Billikens offense this season. He is first on the team and 12^th in the conference in scoring averaging 14.6 points/game. He ranks 15^th in rebounding, collecting 6.5 boards/game. He has been even stronger on the boards in conference play, averaging 7.5 per game. Evans rarely misses when he gets his sights set on the basket. He is 11^th in field goal percentage during conference play, shooting 44-of-81 (54.3%) from the field.
 
Joining Evans on the inside is senior forward Rob Loe. He ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.1 points/game this season. He adds 5.2 rebounds/game. Loe is the Billikens most intimidating presence on the defensive interior, leading the team with 30 blocks this season. He ranks seventh during conference play, averaging 1.6 blocks/game in conference games this season. The Explorers will want to avoid putting Loe on the line; he ranks seventh in the conference in free-throw percentage, making 47-of-60 (78.3%) shots from the charity stripe this season.
 
Senior guard Jordair Jett is the heart and soul of the Billiken attack. His impact is felt throughout the stat sheet and his game has elevated to even greater heights during conference play. He ranks sixth in A-10 play, averaging 16.9 points/game. Jett is also an excellent distributor; ranking third in conference play in assists, averaging 4.8 helpers per game. He ranks ninth in conference play in steals, averaging 1.5 steals/game. He has also added 5.4 rebounds/game during A-10 play.
 
Sophomore guard Austin McBroom joins Jett in the backcourt. He is the Billikens most potent threat from beyond the arc. He is first on the team with 39 three-point makes this season. McBroom ranks 13^th in the conference in three-point shooting percentage, going 39.0% from range this season. He has yet to miss a free-throw in conference play, going 17-of-17 from the line.
 
Up Next
The Blue and Gold will return to action next weekend, taking on Atlantic 10 and Big 5 rival Saint Joseph's at Tom Gola Arena. Opening tip is scheduled for 11:00am with the game being broadcast nationally on ESPNU.