Men's Basketball | December 20, 2018

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - La Salle returns to action after an extended 12-day layoff with the Boardwalk Battle in Atlantic City, N.J. The Explorers tangle with Alabama A&M in the opening round of the event on Friday, Dec. 21, beginning at 7:30 p.m., and will face either Towson or Tulane on Saturday. All games will be shown live online through FloHoops.com, and an online radio stream of the game is available via the TuneIn Radio App or Stretch Internet Radio.

NEWS & NOTES
•The trip to Atlantic City marks the first game played at Boardwalk Hall by the Explorers since March 9, 2012, when La Salle fell to Saint Louis, 78-71, in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
•The league championship was held at the venue from 2007-12, with La Salle compiling a 3-4 record.
•The 12-day break between games is the longest since the 2013-14 season, when the Explorers had a similar period of dormancy between games against Miami (Fla.) (Dec. 22) and Penn (Jan. 4).
•Nearly two weeks ago, La Salle fell to its third Philadelphia Big 5 team this season in an 83-65 loss to Penn at Tom Gola Arena.
•Sophomore David Beatty came off the bench to record a season-high 14 points, but was the only Explorer to reach double figures.
•La Salle allowed the Quakers to shoot 57.4 percent from the field, including a 63.0 percent performance in the second half.
•Freshman Jared Kimbrough returned from a two-game absence and scored nine points on a perfect 4-for-4 showing from the floor.
•Kimbrough is shooting an impressive 72.4 percent from the field (21-for-29) and currently paces the Explorers in rebounding at 5.4 per game.
•Sophomore Miles Brookins went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe against Penn and has converted 25 of his 28 attempts from the free-throw line this season (.893).
•Junior Traci Carter had three steals in the loss, and has tallied two or more steals in a game eight times this season.

SCOUTING THE FIELD
ALABAMA A&M (0-10) - First meeting between schools
•La Salle's first-round opponent, Alabama A&M, is coming off a 79-67 loss at South Alabama.
•Jalen Reeder is one of three players who are averaging double figures for the Bulldogs.
•The two teams have previously never met, and the Explorers are 2-2 all-time vs. SWAC schools.

TOWSON (3-7) - La Salle leads all-time series, 4-2 
•The Tigers snapped a three-game losing skid with an 80-76 win at UMBC on Dec. 11.
•Brian Fobbs scored a game-high 32 points, including six three-pointers, in the victory.
•Fobbs leads the team in scoring at 16.4 ppg, and is the only player currently averaging double digits.

TULANE (4-6) - La Salle leads series, 1-0
•The Green Wave beat Texas Southern, 77-70, on Dec. 17, their second win in the last three games.
•Samir Sehic had 28 points and 11 boards while Caleb Daniels added 21 points.
•Daniels is the top scorer on the team through 10 games, averaging 16.7 points per contest.

HISTORY IN A.C.
•The Explorers have played at Boardwalk Hall on four separate occasions, all of them being related to the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
•La Salle won its first game at the venue on March 12, 2008, defeating Duquesne, 82-79, before falling the quarterfinals of the A-10 Tournament at the hands of Temple.
•Appearances in 2009, 2011 and 2012 league championships saw the Explorers combine for a 3-4 all-time record.
•Additionally, La Salle played on the Boardwalk Hall court on November 28, 2015, not in Atlantic City, but at Rowan University. 
•La Salle played the Profs as part of Rowan's celebration of the 1996 National Championship, a team that was coached by former La Salle head coach Dr. John Giannini. 
•Due to damage to the floor in Esby Gym on Rowan's campus, Boardwalk Hall loaned Rowan it's floor for the 2015-16 season. La Salle defeated Rowan, 81-51.