Men's Basketball | February 23, 2021

PHILADELPHIA - The Explorers finally return home after a lengthy four-game road swing to host Duquesne for Senior Day at Tom Gola Arena in their 2020-21 home finale Wednesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., with all of the action available to fans on ESPN+. The game also marks the final home game for seniors David Beatty and Scott Spencer, who will be honored prior to the contest.

NEWS & NOTES
•La Salle will be looking to get some momentum back on its side after a four-game skid, none more heartbreaking than Saturday's 91-82 defeat at Saint Joseph's in overtime.
•Sophomore Christian Ray and junior Jared Kimbrough both posted double-doubles in the setback, the first Explorer duo to do so in the same game in three years.
•Ray matched career highs with a team-high 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Kimbrough totaled 12 points and a career-high 10 boards off the bench.
•La Salle led by 10 early on before Saint Joseph's ended the half on an 18-5 run to gain control at halftime, 37-34.
•The Hawks pulled ahead by eight in the second half, but the Explorers battled back and took a 77-75 lead with three seconds left.
•However, Saint Joseph's went the length of the court and benefitted from a goaltending call on the final play that forced overtime, where the Hawks would prevail.
•Freshman Jhamir Brickus scored in double digits for the third straight game with 17 points while adding six assists and career highs of five steals and five rebounds.
•The Explorers struggled from three-point land, shooting just 11.5 percent from deep.
•Sophomore Sherif Kenney had 14 points and matched his career high with eight rebounds, while redshirt sophomore Jack Clark was the fifth Explorer in double digits with 11 points and six rebounds.

SCOUTING DUQUESNE
•The Dukes sit at .500 with a 7-7 overall mark and a 6-6 Atlantic 10 record, while they are 2-4 on the road this season.
•Duquesne played its first game in 18 days on Saturday, falling 79-72 at Richmond despite 20 points and nine rebounds from Michael Hughes.
•Marcus Weathers leads the team with 14.8 points per game and adds 7.2 rebounds, while Hughes averages 11.1 points and 8.1 boards per contest.
•The Dukes lead the Atlantic 10 in defensive three-point percentage, holding opponents to just 27.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc. 

SENIOR DAY
•La Salle will hold its Senior Day on Wednesday, recognizing seniors David Beatty and Scott Spencer.
•Beatty, in his third season with the Explorers after transferring from South Carolina, has scored 737 points over 83 career games in Blue and Gold.
•Spencer, who has missed the last five games, has been an efficient 43.3 percent three-point shooter over the last two seasons after spending his first two years at Clemson.

DOUBLE DIPPER
•On Saturday, sophomore Christian Ray and junior Jared Kimbrough each put up double-doubles in the overtime affair at Saint Joseph's.
•The two become the first La Salle duo to record double-doubles in the same game since NBA G-Leaguer B.J. Johnson (23 pts., 10 rebs.) and 2020 alum Isiah Deas (15 pts., 10 rebs.) both doubled up at Saint Louis during the 2017-18 season (2/10/18).
•Ray tied career highs with 18 points and 11 rebounds over 38 minutes for his second career double-double, both coming on the road against the Hawks.
•Kimbrough doubled up for the first time in his career with 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds over 35 minutes off the bench.