Men's Basketball | December 6, 2021

PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle men's basketball team puts its three-game win streak inside Tom Gola Arena on the line when they take on FDU on Tuesday evening on 20^th and Olney.
 
The Knights make the trip to Philadelphia with a 0-7 record, La Salle looking to climb back to .500 inside the friendly confines of Gola. The Explorers and Knights tip off at 7 p.m., Kale Beers and Fran Dunphy on the call on ESPN+ and on goexplorers.com/watch.
 
NEWS AND NOTES

• The Explorers return to Gola for the fifth time in eight games to start the season, currently entering game two of a three-game home stand on 20th and Olney.
• After the first four games of the season proved to be decided by one possession at the end of the regulation, the last three games have been decided by double-figures, La Salle earning its largest margin of victory this year with a 19 point win over Holy Cross on Saturday afternoon.
• With five games in two weeks, four of those coming in 10 days, La Salle hits the middle mark of a busy holiday period. The Explorers have been fortunate to not have to leave city limits, the only two games not being played in Tom Gola Arena in that time being a neutral site game against Villanova inside The Palestra and a short road trip to Philly rivals Temple.
• The Explorers finally found a rhythm to open the contest, but their hot start was slowly cut into and equaled heading into the break. The La Salle defense clamped down in the second half, and the offense kept going - shooting 54% on the game - to propel to an 84-65 victory over Holy Cross last time out.
• After his 28 point outburst against Holy Cross, Josh Nickelberry leads the team in scoring - averaging 11.3 points per game. Nickelberry is one of eight players scoring six or more a game, Sherif Kenney the only other in double-digits with 10.0 per night.
• Fifth in the country in offensive rebounds per game and second in the conference in total rebounds, Christian Ray has again proven his mettle by grabbing another 12 rebounds against the Crusaders. The junior leads the way with 8.9 rebounds per game for the Explorers.

 
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS

• The Knights look to grab their first win of the season on Tuesday evening, entering the game with a 0-7 record. FDU enters the matchup with its eighth-straight road game, having yet to compete inside its home inside the Rothman Center.
• The Knights make their second trip to Philadelphia in as many games, coming off of an 86-65 defeat to Drexel last Thursday.
• FDU is led by Brandon Rush, averaging 13.5 points per game in the early stages of the season. Devon Dunn joins the junior guard with 12 points per contest, leading the team in assists and steals.
• John Square Jr. leads the Knights on the glass, tallying 4.3 boards per game.

 
DEBUT FOR DAESHON

• Coming into his rookie season, Daeshon Shepherd fought off an injury in preseason to finally make his collegiate debut against Holy Cross just minutes into the game. The Philly native took no time to get on the stat sheet, draining a three on his first field goal attempt. The freshman finished with seven points in just over 11 minutes of action.

 
SHINING ON SATURDAYS

• Seven games in, the Explorers are unblemished on Saturdays, winning all three games played. All three wins also came in the daytime, La Salle 0-4 when playing at 6 pm or later.

 
SHOOTING THROUGH THE SLUMP

• After two matchups against Big Five opponents, the Explorers shook off the rust of two shooting performances against Temple and Villanova. After combining for 31-111 (25.2%) from the field against Philly foes, the Explorers recovered by shooting 34-64 (54.0%) against Holy Cross, their highest shooting percentage of the season.

 
DEFENDING IS AN ART

• In their nonconference campaign, the Explorers are 3-0 when allowing less than 65 points and 0-4 when allowing 70+ points.
• La Salle held the Black Knights to 58 points on 31.1% shooting, a season-low for an opponent in both categories. Army came into the contest averaging 74.8 points per game and 47.5% from the field. The 61 points is the lowest the Explorers scored in a win since a Dec. 12 contest last season against Drexel, defeating the Dragons 58-48.

 
RAY THE RELIABLE

• For the third time in seven games, the junior guard secured double-figure rebounds, tallying a team-high 12 boards against Holy Cross. After seven games, Ray averages 8.9 rebounds per game - ranking 49th in the nation in rebounds and 5th in offensive boards (4.29).
• Ray posted a season-high 14 points against Delaware, four points shy of his career-best set last season. The Gap, Pa. native also added a career-best 16 rebounds, the most by an Explorer since Ed Crosswell secured 18 against Saint Louis (1/29/20). Ray is one of only three players in the country to record 12/16/4 on the season.
• Collecting his fourth career double-double with 14:44 remaining in regulation, Ray also neared a career-best in assists, dishing out four dimes in defeat.
• Ray led all scorers on the team in the first win over UAlbany, pacing the way with 12 points. The Gap, Pa. native also had a team-high six rebounds, adding three assists on his day.

 
NICKELBERRY HEATING UP

• Joining the Explorers from a two-year stint at Louisville, Josh Nickelberry surpassed his numbers during his time as a Cardinal. In 24 games, the junior registered 37 points. It took the junior just three games to record 41 points in an Explorer jersey.
• Nickelberry, who totaled 37 points in an injury riddled stint as a Cardinal, knocked down 22 points on 8-17 shooting in the game against Sacred Heart (6-11 from behind the arc), three points short of what he tallied in his best season at Louisville as a sophomore.
• The first year Explorer bested his debut performance with a game-high 28 points from Holy Cross on 10-18 shooting, recording the most points by an Explorer in a game since Isaiah Deas (31) in Dec. 14, 2019 against Morgan State. Nickelberry also recorded a career-high eight rebounds.

 
MOORE PRODUCTION

• Clifton Moore has proven himself to be a menace on the defensive side of the ball in his two years in the Blue and Gold.
• With six blocks against Army West Point, Moore recorded the most blocks in a game since November 20, 2010 when Aaric Murray recorded nine in a 79-74 win over Morgan State. The six blocks is fourth-most in program history.
• Moore had a career-day against the Crusaders, grabbing a career-best 15 points and four assists. The Ambler, Pa. native also grabbed a season-high eight boards, blocking five shots - one short of the record set against Army.