Men's Basketball | March 2, 2021

RICHMOND, Va. - The La Salle men's basketball team heads south for the 2021 Atlantic 10 Championship in Richmond, and will face a familiar foe on Wednesday morning. The Explorers, seeded 12th, will take on the 13th-seeded Saint Joseph's Hawks in an opening-round game that will air on ESPN+. An audio broadcast of the game will also be available via the TuneIn Radio App and Stretch Internet, with Kale Beers calling the action.

NEWS & NOTES
•The winner of the battle between two Philadelphia Big 5 rivals will advance to the second round and face fifth-seeded UMass on Thursday.
•St. Joe's and La Salle split the regular-season series, with each team winning on its home floor.
•The Explorers averaged 88.0 points per game over those two games, while the Hawks averaged 86.0 ppg.
•In the most recent matchup, sophomore Christian Ray scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds but SJU forced overtime in the final seconds of regulation and ultimately prevailed, 91-82.
•Freshman Jhamir Brickus also had an impressive showing, compiling 17 points and six assists.
•St. Joe's senior Ryan Daly had a game-high 30 points in the contest, and freshman Jordan Hall recorded a triple-double with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

LA SALLE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Atlantic 10 Tournament Record    11-22
Record in A-10 Tournament Opening Round    1-1 (2018 vs. UMass; L, 69-67)
Record in A-10 Tournament Second Round    9-10
Record in A-10 Tournament Quarterfinals    1-10
Record in A-10 Tournament Semifinals    0-1
Record in A-10 Tournament Finals    N/A

History vs. Saint Joseph's in A-10 Tournament (1-4)
2003 Quarterfinals (at UD Arena, Dayton, Ohio)    L, 68-48
2001 Quarterfinals (at The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pa.)    L, 82-74
2000 Opening Round (at The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pa.)    L, 65-56
1999 Opening Round (at The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pa.)    W, 81-54
1998 Opening Round (at The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pa.)    L, 73-72

A-10 Regular Season Titles    N/A
A-10 Tournament Titles    N/A
All-Time Conference Tournament Record    48-35 (9 Titles)*
* Includes MCC (1993-95), MAAC (1984-92), ECC (1975-83) and MAC (1967-74)

SCOUTING SAINT JOSEPH'S
•The Hawks, who had lost their first nine Atlantic 10 games of the year, enter postseason play as one of the hottest teams in the league.
•SJU has won three straight, including a 76-73 road victory over Richmond on March 1.
•The stellar play has coincided with the return of Ryan Daly, who missed an extended period of time this year with a broken hand.
•Daly has averaged 23.0 points per game since his return, which came against the Explorers on Feb. 20.

ALL-TIME vs. SAINT JOSEPH'S - A-10 CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY
•For the sixth time since the two teams have been members of the Atlantic 10 together, Philadelphia Big 5 rivals Saint Joseph's and La Salle will square off in the single-elimination event.
•This meeting marks the first time the two teams have played in the Atlantic 10 Championship since 2003.
•The Hawks defeated the Explorers, 68-48, in the quarterfinal round that season, in a game played at UD Arena.
•SJU holds a 4-1 advantage in A-10 Tournaemtn matchups with La Salle, with the Explorers' lone win coming in the first round in 1999 (81-54).