PHILADELPHIA - Graduate student Pookie Powell scored on a drive to the basket with 4.6 seconds remaining to propel the La Salle University men's basketball team (8-15, 6-5 Atlantic 10) to a thrilling 73-72 win over Duquesne (16-9, 7-5 A-10) at Tom Gola Arena at TruMark Financial Center on Wednesday evening. 

Powell finished with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting and sophomore David Beatty, who had 15 points, led a bench mob that outscored the Dukes reserves by a 28-7 margin. Freshman Ed Croswell had another impressive night on the boards, matching his season high with 16 rebounds (10 offensive) to go along with nine points in a career-high 33 minutes of action.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Trailing by three early on, Croswell corralled an offensive rebound and fed Powell for a three-pointer to tie the game. Thirty-six seconds later, La Salle took its first lead as Beatty earned three points the old fashioned way to make it 10-7.
• Beatty and Powell scored La Salle's first 14 points before sophomore Miles Brookins pushed the Explorers ahead, 18-16, with back-to-back baskets down low midway through the opening half.
• The Explorers then amped up the defense behind blocks from Beatty and redshirt junior Traci Carter, and a transition layup by Beatty increased their lead to four with 5:50 left in the frame.
• Duquesne worked its way back and evened the score at 27 after a Sincere Carry layup, and the game remained tied at halftime, 30-30.
• Powell tallied the first seven points of the second half for La Salle, and after a dunk by Croswell, the Explorers were back on top, 39-38.
• Powell continued to percolate, registering the five straight points to push the La Salle lead to six. After the Dukes pulled back within three, junior Isiah Deas knocked down consecutive three-pointers to make it 50-41 with 12:10 to play.
• Another Deas corner three gave the Explorers their largest lead of the game, 59-48, and a slam by Croswell kept the difference in double figures at the under-eight media timeout.
• The Dukes kept hanging around, however, and went on a 9-1 run to come to within two, 62-60, with over five minutes remaining. A jumper by Deas made the difference four, but Duquesne reeled off the next five points, capped off by a Frankie Hughes three, giving the Dukes a 65-64 lead with 2:58 to go.
• Trailing by two with two minutes left, junior Saul Phiri sank a three to put La Salle back in front, but the Dukes answered and led by two with 1:54 on the clock. Beatty tied the game at 71 apiece with a pair of foul shots before Carry made 1-of-2 from the line to put Duquesne up by one.
• With the game on the line and the clock winding down, Powell finished off a contested layup to give the Explorers a one-point lead with just under five seconds to go. Duquesne's last second attempt from Eric Williams Jr. was no good, as La Salle hung on for the win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Buoyed by Croswell's work on the glass, La Salle outrebounded Duquesne, 39-31.
• After shooting just 38.2 percent from the field in the first half -- including 2-for-12 from three-point range -- La Salle found its rhythm in the second stanza, connecting on 55.2 percent of its attempts and going 6-for-11 (54.5%) from downtown.
• Croswell's 16 rebounds matches his career high set previously against Bucknell, and his 10 offensive rebounds also matches his high-water mark on the year.
• Deas, had 13 points, all of which came in the second half, and added four steals.
• Duquesne was led by 18 points from Michael Hughes, who went 8-for-11 from the field.

UP NEXT

• La Salle hits the road for back-to-back games beginning on Saturday, Feb. 16 at Saint Louis. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. ET.
• The game will air live nationally on CBS Sports Network. Check local listings for availability in your area.