PHILADELPHIA - Sophomore Andres Marrero scored a career-high 18 points, including the game-winning three-pointer with 11 seconds left, to lift the La Salle men's basketball team to another thrilling win, 62-61, over Loyola Maryland inside Tom Gola Arena on Wednesday night. The win propels the Explorers to 7-2 on the year, their best nine-game start to a season since 2012-13.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After scoring the first four points of the game on consecutive buckets by senior Anwar Gill, the Explorers struggled to get much going offensively.
• La Salle shot 2-for-13 from three-point range through the first 20 minutes, and trailed at halftime, 29-27.
• The Explorers started to get things going early in the second stanza, pulling ahead by a 38-31 margin following a pair of threes by Marrero.
• Loyola responded with an extended 29-11 run that put the visitors on top by double figures at 60-49 with less than five minutes to go.
• As has been the case in the early going this season, La Salle kept scrapping and clawing back, as a three-pointer by Jhamir Brickus ignited one last surge.
• Marrero connected on another three to pull La Salle to within 60-57, before a Brickus layup trimmed the margin to just one a minute later.
• With under a minute to play and Loyola up two, the Explorers forced a stop on one end and in transition, Brickus found Marrero on the right wing for his sixth and final three-pointer to put La Salle on top.
• The Greyhounds had a few chances on their last possession but could not convert, as the Explorers picked up their second straight victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Gill was the second player to reach double figures for the game, finishing with 15 points and five rebounds.
• Brickus and junior Khalil Brantley, who entered the game each averaging over 17 points per game, were held to 14 points combined but did have solid floor games with 11 assists against just two turnovers.
• Daeshon Shepherd led the Explorers with nine rebounds.
• Alonso Faure and D'Angelo Stines came off the bench to lead Loyola with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

UP NEXT

• The Explorers will travel to Lafayette for a non-conference road tilt on Saturday, Dec. 9.
• Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Easton, Pa.