PHILADELPHIA - Four La Salle University men's basketball players reached double figures in scoring as the Explorers downed Saint Joseph's, 83-68, in front of a sellout crowd at Tom Gola Arena on Saturday afternoon. Senior Jordan Price and junior B.J. Johnson led the way with 18 points each for the Explorers, who moved to 14-11 overall and 8-6 in Atlantic 10 play. 

Junior Amar Stukes was a key reason for La Salle jumping out to an early lead, as he scored five points and had two assists in the opening three minutes of play that resulted in a 13-3 lead. Back-to-back jumpers by the 6-2 guard pushed the advantage to 21-8 with 11:49 on the clock, and a three-pointer from Price pushed the margin to 32-12 with just over eight minutes left in the first half.

Stukes finished with 15 first-half points and added three assists, while sophomore Pookie Powell contributed 11 points in the period to give La Salle a 44-26 cushion at the break. The Explorers were impressive defensively, holding the Hawks to just 36.4 percent from the field and 0-of-6 from three-point range.

The second-half lead grew to as many as 27 points as Johnson got it going after intermission. The 6-7 lefty had 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a layup that put the score at 71-51 with 6:53 remaining. Saint Joseph's did go on a 9-0 run from there to get to within 71-60, but Johnson converted in the paint to begin a 6-0 spurt that pushed the margin back to 77-60 with three minutes to go. The Explorers cruised the rest of the way to pick up the win over their Big 5 rival and avenge its loss earlier this season.

James Demery led St. Joe's with 18 points, while Stukes closed with 15 points and Powell had 13 for La Salle.

The La Salle University men's basketball team returns to action on Tuesday, Feb. 21 against Rhode Island. Tipoff at Tom Gola Arena is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., with all of the action airing live on CBS Sports Network.