Men's Basketball | January 23, 2023

PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle men's basketball team looks to win its third Atlantic 10 game of the season and snap a three-game losing streak in conference play on Tuesday when it hosts Davidson at Tom Gola Arena at TruMark Financial Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
 
The Explorers (8-11, 2-4 A-10) take on the Wildcats (9-10, 2-5 A-10) in their annual Coaches vs. Cancer "Suits & Sneakers" week game. For over 25 years, the Coaches vs. Cancer program, in collaboration with the National Association of Basketball Coaches, has united coaches and fans nationwide to help the American Cancer Society defeat a common enemy – cancer. The La Salle coaching staff will be laced up in Adidas Ultraboost 22s in recognition of the special event.
 
The game will also honor and celebrate the life of the late Brother Ed Sheehy '68, FSC, who passed away last December. Sheehy was a La Salle University faculty member and men's basketball chaplain.
 
The first 400 fans in attendance will receive a special Brother Ed Sheehy T-shirt. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here or clicking the link in the info box above. Fans can use redeem code ED30 to receive 30% off tickets for the game.
 
Moreover, the game is Greek night. All La Salle University students who are part of a fraternity or sorority are welcome to attend the game. 

There will also be a pre-game reception at the Hideaway at Blue and Gold Commons. The Hideaway will open two hours prior to tip-off to all fans.
 
Explorers fans can also listen to the broadcast through GoExplorers.com/watch. In addition, Explorers fans can follow the team on Twitter @LaSalle_MBB and Instagram @lasallembb.
 
NEWS & NOTES

• The Explorers will go up against the Wildcats for the 13th time in program history. Davidson leads the series with a 9-3 record.
• The Explorers are coming off an 84-71 loss to Saint Louis on Saturday on the road. In that game, the Explorers led for the majority of the first half and were down two with 11:59 left before the Billikens pulled away for the win.
• The Explorers have four players averaging close to double figures in Khalil Brantley, Josh Nickelberry, Fousseyni Drame, and Jhamir Brickus. The foursome has combined for 44.0 points per game, with Brantley scoring 14.4 per game, Nickelberry chipping in 10.4 per contest, Drame adding 9.7 per game, and Brickus averaging 9.5 per game.
• The Explorers are led by head coach Fran Dunphy, the all-time winningest coach in Philadelphia Big 5 history. A 1970 La Salle graduate, Dunphy sports a 588-336 career record and a 331-133 mark in conference games.

COMING OFF THE BENCH

• The Explorers have one of the top benches in the country, as they are ranked 79th in the NCAA in bench points per game at 24.00 points per game.
• The Explorers have seen their bench score over 30 points in a game five times this season.

PICKING OPPONENTS' POCKETS

• The Explorers have cracked the top 100 in all of NCAA Division I in terms of steals, as they are ranked 77th in the country after averaging 7.7 steals per game. They also rank third in the A-10 in that department.
• The Explorers had their best performance of the season as far as taking away the basketball goes, as they recorded a season-best 13 steals against Saint Joseph's on Monday.
• The Explorers have made 10 steals or more in a game four times this season.
• The Explorers have recorded eight or more steals in a game eight times this season.

SCOUTING DAVIDSON

• The Wildcats enter the game at 9-10 and 2-5 in A-10 play after losing their fourth straight conference game against Dayton, 68-61, last Tuesday at Dayton. The Wildcats' nine wins this season were against Guilford (87-64), Wright State (102-97 in double overtime), VMI (75-71), South Carolina (69-60), Old Dominion (66-61), San Francisco (89-80), Western Carolina (72-64), Fordham (57-43), and Loyola Chicago (80-57), respectively.
• The Wildcats' other nine losses were to College of Charleston (89-66), Charlotte (68-66 in OT), Delaware (69-67), No. 1 Purdue (69-61), Northeastern (73-70), Dayton (69-55), VCU (89-72), Richmond (61-57), and George Mason (67-65), respectively.
• Last year, the Wildcats finished first in the A-10 in the regular season, reached the finals of the A-10 Championship, and qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
• The Wildcats have three players averaging double figures in Foster Loyer, Sam Mennenga, and Desmond Watson. Loyer leads the way with 15.6 points per game, Mennenga is next with 15.5 points per game, and Watson follows him at 10.2.
• Davidson is led by Matt McKillop, who is in his first season as head coach for the Wildcats.