Explorers Post Big 5 Win Over Penn in OT at The Palestra

Box Score

La Salle LaS 4-4,0-0 Atlantic 10

Penn Penn 5-6,0-0 Ivy League

La Salle LaS

4-4,0-0 Atlantic 10

Final

Dec. 03, 2022

Penn Penn

5-6,0-0 Ivy League

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	OT 1	F
La Salle LaS	32	37	15	84
Penn Penn	35	34	12	81

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | December 3, 2022

Explorers Post Big 5 Win Over Penn in OT at The Palestra

Gill, Brickus record career highs in points in victory

PHILADELPHIA — Anwar Gill and Jhamir Brickus both set career highs in points while leading the La Salle men's basketball team to an 84-81 win over Penn on Saturday afternoon in a Philadelphia Big 5 game at The Palestra.

Gill poured in a career-best 26 points, while Brickus dropped 25 to help put the Explorers at 4-4 on the season. The Explorers also won their first game against a Big 5 opponent this season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Explorers had a tough time in the first 11 and a half minutes of the game, as they trailed, 20-10.
However, the Explorers clawed their way back into it by going on a 22-15 run to make it a 35-32 Penn lead at halftime. Anwar Gill sparked the run with 10 first-half points.
In the second half, the Explorers managed to take a 57-56 lead with 7:07 left after Brickus converted an old-fashioned three-point play after he made a layup and free throw following a Penn foul.
From there, the Explorers pushed their advantage to three points five times (59-56, 61-58, 63-60, 66-63, and 69-63), but the Quakers managed to force overtime after hitting a three-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game at 69.
In overtime, Brickus and Gill came up big for La Salle. The junior guards combined for 11 of the team's 15 points in the extra period, with Gill scoring six points – including the first five points for the Explorers in the period — and Brickus scoring five to lift them to the win.

GAME NOTES

Gill had himself a game, as he scored his 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three-point range, and 5-of-7 from the free throw line in 35 minutes. The Washington, D.C. native's nine field goals made, three three-pointers made, five foul shots made, 15 field goals attempted, and 35 minutes played were all career highs.
Brickus also had a career day, as he scored his 25 points while shooting 9-for-12 from the field, including 6-for-8 from three, in 43 minutes. The Coatesville, Pa. native's six three-pointers made and minutes played were career highs.
Gill and Brickus became the second La Salle duo to both score 20 or more points in a game this season. Before them, Khalil Brantley and Josh Nickelberry had 22 and 20 points, respectively, in the team's win over Wagner on Nov. 12.
Fousseyni Drame also scored in double figures for the Explorers, netting 10 points.
Fran Dunphy, the all-time winningest coach in Philadelphia Big 5 history, Dunphy coached his 107th game against a Big 5 school. With the win over Penn, which he served as head coach of the program from 1989-2006, he now has a 52-55 record against Big 5 programs.

SERIES HISTORY 

The Explorers have won 11 of the last 15 matchups and twice in a row. Last year, the Explorers earned a 76-74 victory at Tom Gola Arena.
The Explorers have also won seven of the last nine meetings against the Quakers at The Palestra since 2000.

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