PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle men's basketball team snapped George Washington's six-game win streak with a 63-50 victory over the Colonials in Atlantic 10 action from Tom Gola Arena on Saturday afternoon.
"I'm thrilled. We beat an outstanding team," said head coach
Dr. John Giannini. "We played defense, and we had our edge back."
The Explorers (9-7, 1-2 A-10) scored the game's first five points and didn't look back, eventually pushing the lead to 19-2 on a
Khalid Lewis jumper with 9:03 remaining in the first half. Following the opening run, La Salle led by at least 11 for the duration of the game.
La Salle forced 11 turnovers during the 19-2 run to start the game, and outscored GW 20-13 in points off turnovers on the afternoon.
"In practice, we knew exactly what they were going to do," said redshirt junior
Jordan Price. "Our scout team is amazing, with them running the plays in practice as good as the opponent it helps us a lot in preparing."
Price poured in a game-high 20 points, finishing 6-for-11 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line.
Cleon Roberts added 15 points, reaching double figures for his fifth straight game. The redshirt sophomore also added six points and a pair of assists.
"He is a big reason that we are playing better," added Giannini. "He has gotten better all the time and he can keep getting better."
Amar Stukes hit a layup with 3:34 remaining in the game to put the Explorers in front 61-42 for their largest lead of the contest.
Steve Zack pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds to go with six points, two assists and two blocks.
The Explorers held a 33-19 lead at the break, marking the third time this season La Salle has held the opponent below 20 points in a half. La Salle is now 3-0 in those games.
Yuta Watanabe was the only Colonial to score in double figures, finishing with 12 points on the afternoon. Patricio Garino and Nick Griffin both finished with nine points for GW.
The Explorers are on the road midweek as they travel to Dayton on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. tip with the Flyers from UD Arena.
