Men's Basketball | January 5, 2018

PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle men's basketball team plays host to VCU on Saturday, Jan. 6, at Tom Gola Arena at TruMark Financial Center. The Atlantic 10 contest, which will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network, is set to begin at 2:00 p.m. An online radio broadcast featuring La Salle play-by-play commentator Kale Beers and analyst Rich Prendergast is available on the TuneIn Radio App or Stretch Internet.

All former La Salle student-athletes are invited to 2018 Alumni Athlete Day. All student-athletes from the past are entitled to two free tickets to the game. A post-game reception will also be held in the Hall of Athletes, courtesy of Paddy Whacks.

NEWS & NOTES 
•Both teams are coming off league losses, with the Explorers falling on the road to preseason A-10 favorite Rhode Island, 74-62.
•Playing without A-10 leading scorer B.J. Johnson for a third straight game, the Explorers hung with the Rams and trailed by three at 48-45 with just under 13 minutes left in the second half.
•Rhode Island used a critical six-point possession to swing momentum and would go on to victory.
•Sophomore Isiah Deas compiled a team-high 17 points while redshirt junior Pookie Powell had 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
•The Rams, who entered the game with a +5.8 turnover margin to rank in the top five nationally, forced 19 turnovers by La Salle that led to 30 points.
•The Explorers shot 52.0 percent in the second half against URI, but the Rams crashed the boards and outrebounded La Salle, 18-12, in the stanza.
•Graduate student Amar Stukes added 12 points for the Explorers, going 2-for-3 from three-point range against Rhode Island.
•Stukes is shooting an impressive 75.0 percent from deep (9-for-12) over his last five games and leads the team in three-point field goal percentage at 43.3%.

SCOUTING VCU
•The Rams suffered an overtime loss at the hands of Saint Joseph's on Wednesday evening to drop their record to 9-6 overall and 1-1 in A-10 play.
•VCU fought back from a six-point halftime deficit to force the extra period.
•Senior guard Jonathan Williams hit a driving layup with 10 seconds remaining to tie the score at 76-76 towards the end of regulation.
•The Rams went just 2-for-10 from the floor in the overtime session.
•Preseason First Team All-Atlantic 10 pick Justin Tillman led the team in scoring with 22 points.
•The 6-8 forward leads VCU in scoring (18.5 ppg), rebounding (8.9 rpg) and three-point field goal percentage (44.7%).
•Ten different players are averaging 10 or more minutes per game for the Rams.
•VCU went 26-9 last season to earn the program's 16th trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Rams dropped a first-round game to Saint Mary's.