Men's Basketball | November 30, 2019

VILLANOVA, Pa. - The La Salle men's basketball team looks to bring momentum it built in Florida up north for a Big 5 matchup with No. 22 Villanova on Sunday evening. Dave Sims and La Salle alum Bill Raftery will be on the call for Fox Sports 1, with the action beginning at 6:30 p.m. An audio broadcast featuring La Salle play-by-play announcer Kale Beers is also available via Tune In Radio app

NEWS & NOTES
•The Explorers traveled to Estero, Fla., for the Gulf Coast Showcase on Nov. 25-27, and earned three wins in three days to capture the tournament title. 
•Sophomore Ed Croswell was named Tournament Most Valuable Player after recording two double-doubles over the three-day stretch, including an 18-point, 12-board performance in the championship game against South Alabama.
•Following an 11-point, 10-rebound effort against 2019 NCAA Tournament qualifier Murray State, Croswell scored the game-winning putback with less than a second remaining as the Explorers defeated preseason Horizon League favorite Wright State.
•In addition to Croswell's big game against South Alabama, senior Isiah Deas scored a team-high 21 points against the Jaguars and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
•The three wins at an in-season tournament marked the first time the Explorers had accomplished the feat since La Salle defeated Georgia, Cornell and Columbia to win the Quaker City Tournament in 1969-70. 
•Recent Temple head coach and 1970 La Salle graduate Fran Dunphy was named Tournament MVP.

SCOUTING VILLANOVA
•The Wildcats enter Sunday's contest ranked No. 22 in the country according to the Associated Press.
•The team has not played since Nov. 24, when it dropped an 87-78 decision to Baylor in the championship game of the Myrtle Beach Invitational.
•Collin Gillespie leads Villanova in scoring at 15.3 points per game, and is one of four players averaging in double figures.

ALL-TIME SERIES - VILLANOVA
•The game is the 69th between La Salle and Villanova, with the Wildcats holding a 41-27 advantage.
•Villanova has won the last six games,with the last matchup at Finneran Pavilion coming on Dec. 13, 2015 (Villanova won, 76-47).
•Last year, the Explorers held a 42-39 halftime lead before succumbing to the Wildcats, 85-78.
•Isiah Deas had 15 points and David Beatty had 12 for La Salle, who connected on nine of their 15 three-point field goal attempts in the opening 20 minutes.

EXPLORERS FACE TOUGH COMPETITION; EARN GULF COAST SHOWCASE TITLE
•La Salle entered the Gulf Coast Showcase event in Florida having played one of the toughest schedules in the country, squaring off against a pair of NCAA Tournament teams and the reigning Philadelphia Big 5 champions through three games.
•The battle-tested Explorers were up to the challenge against three quality mid-major programs, defeating Murray State, Wright State and South Alabama to take home the tournament title.
•Murry State was picked to finish second behind Belmont in the Ohio Valley Conference, Wright State is the preseason favorite in the Horizon League and South Alabama was picked to win the Sun Belt Conference.