Men's Basketball | December 3, 2018

PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle University men's basketball team continues its three-game homestand at its regular home venue on Tuesday, as the Explorers host Bucknell at Tom Gola Arena at TruMark Financial Center. The game marks "90s Night," with the first 300 students in attendance receiving a free La Salle branded fanny pack. A special prize will also be awarded to the student with the best 90s-themed outfit.

NEWS & NOTES
•La Salle and No. 23 Villanova battled in a Big 5 showdown at The Palestra on Dec. 1, with the Explorers holding their own for the majority of the game.
•Sophomore Isiah Deas connected on four first-half three-pointers as the Explorers built a 35-23 lead with just over five minutes left in the period.
•The Wildcats trimmed the margin to three (42-39) at intermission, before five straight points from La Salle to start the second hal re-upped the lead to eight.
•Villanova scored eight straight to tie the game and eventually took a one-point lead following a four-point play by Saddiq Bey at the 12:44 mark.
•The two teams battled it out over the remainder of the contest, before the Wildcats eventually earned their 23rd straight Big 5 win.
•La Salle's performance on Dec. 1 was the closest a Big 5 opponent has come to defeating Villanova since the streak began.
•Junior Traci Carter led the Explorers with 17 points and eight assists, with 10 points and five assists coming after halftime.
•Deas closed with 15 points, including a career-high five three-pointers. Deas also set a season high with three assists, one shy of his career best total.
•Freshman Ed Croswell made the first start of his La Salle career against Villanova, as did sophomore guard Jamir Moultrie. Croswell closed with a season and career high 10 points.
•The duo was starting in place of graduate student Pookie Powell and freshman Jared Kimbrough, who each missed the game due to injury.
•A third La Salle player, graduate student Cheddi Mosely, also missed the Villanova game due to injury, making the Explorers' upset bid all the more impressive.

SCOUTING BUCKNELL
•The Bison are an even 3-3 on the year, and are coming off 65-43 win over Monmouth on Saturday.
•Avi Toomer scored a career-high 17 points and had four steals, as Bucknell held the Hawks to 32.7 percent shooting.
•Kimbal MacKenzie, a third team All-Patriot League honoree as a sophomore, is averaging a team-high 15.7 points per game through six games of his senior season.

SERIES HISTORY
•The Explorers lead the all-time series by an overwhelming margin of 19-5, but Bucknell picked up an 88-81 win in last year's matchup in Lewisburg, Pa.
•Pookie Powell had 29 points and Isiah Deas added a career-high 24 for La Salle.
•The Bison, however, shot 54.7 percent from the floor and received a 30-point performance from Nana Foulland.
•La Salle won the last meeting between the two schools at Tom Gola Arena (83-73; 12/3/16).