Men's Basketball | December 9, 2017

PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle men's basketball team continues Big 5 play on Sunday, Dec. 10 as it battles nationally-ranked Villanova. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m. at Wells Fargo Center.

The game will be televised nationally on Fox Sports 1, with Brian Custer and Jim Spanarkel on the call. An audio broadcast can also be heard via Tune In Radio App or Stretch Internet, featuring Kale Beers and Rich Prendergast.

NEWS & NOTES
•The Explorers sit atop the Big 5 standings with a 2-0 record, having already defeated Penn and Temple.
•The game will be the first for La Salle men's basketball at Wells Fargo Center, the home of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. 
•Despite a valiant comeback attempt, the Explorers dropped a 72-70 decision to Drexel in their last outing on Thursday.
•Eight straight points from sophomore Isiah Deas comprised the majority of a 10-0 run that cut a 12-point deficit to two with just under four minutes left.
•La Salle would pull to within two on three occasions down the stretch but could not get closer, as a three-point attempt at the buzzer from Deas was off the mark.
•Senior B.J. Johnson recorded his fifth double-double of the season, finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds. He also matched his season high with three steals.
•As a team, the Explorers committed just nine turnovers compared to Drexel's 17, marking the fourth time this season they have had single-digit miscues.
•Deas closed the game with 14 points, one shy of his career high, while redshirt junior Pookie Powell added 16.
•Powell tied his season high with four three-pointers and has hit 10 of his last 21 (47.6%) from deep.

SCOUTING VILLANOVA
•The Wildcats enter the game as one of eight unbeaten teams in the country at 9-0. 
•The average margin of victory for Villanova through its nine-game winning streak is 23.8 points.
•Most recently, 'Nova defeated No. 12 Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden by a score of 88-72.
•Mikal Bridges, who leads the team in scoring at 19.0 points per game, led the Wildcats with 28 points including five three-pointers.
•Phil Booth added 20 while Jalen Brunson finished with 12 points, five rebounds and five assists.
•Six players on the team average at least 9.0 points per game, and Villanova is shooting 50.6 percent from the field as a team.
•Last season, the Wildcats went 32-4 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Wisconsin.

LAST TIME WE MET
•La Salle and Villanova will meet for the 67th time in their histories at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday.
•The last meeting between the two schools came at the Palestra last season, with the top-ranked Wildcats pulling away down the stretch to take an 89-79 decision.
•The Explorers were within four with just over a minute remaining, thanks in large part to Pookie Powell's 27-point performance.
•Powell scored 20 of his then-career high 27 during the second half and finished 10-of-17 from the field.
•B.J. Johnson (13) and Tony Washington (10) also finished in double figures for La Salle.
•Villanova was led by Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, who combined for 47 points. The duo also had six assists and just one turnover as the Wildcats committed just six miscues for the game.
•Mikal Bridges also had a quality game for the Wildcats, finishing with 16 points on just eight shots from the floor.