PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle University men's basketball team suffered a 67-56 loss at the hands of Rhode Island on Tuesday evening at Tom Gola Arena. Sophomore Pookie Powell had a team-high 14 points for the Explorers, who dropped to 14-12 overall and 8-7 in Atlantic 10 play.

The contest was tightly contested through the first 12 minutes, and consecutive old-fashioned three-point plays from junior Amar Stukes comprised a 6-0 spurt by La Salle that tied the game at 26-26. The Rams responded with a 12-2 run that included five points from Jared Terrell. A jumper from Terrell, who had 18 first-half points, closed the scoring in the period and put the margin at 40-30 going into intermission.

In the second stanza, Rhode Island clamped down on the Explorers defensively and held the A10's second-best scoring offense to 35.7 percent from the field and just 26 points. The Rams also shot 52.6 percent from the field and led by as many as 18 points en route to an 11-point victory.

In addition to Powell, Stukes finished with 13 points and three assists for the Explorers while leading scorers B.J. Johnson and Jordan Price scored 12 and 10, respectively. Terrell closed with 24 points to lead Rhode Island, who improved to 18-9 with the win.

La Salle returns to action on Sunday, Feb. 26 against Atlantic 10 foe Massachusetts. Tipoff in Amherst is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.