Men's Basketball | February 10, 2023

PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle men's basketball team looks to extend its winning streak to four games in a row on Saturday when it hosts UMass in an Atlantic 10 game presented by Sherwin-Williams at Tom Gola Arena at TruMark Financial Center. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
 
The game will be televised on ESPN+, with Kale Beels and Rich Prendergast delivering the play-by-play and color commentary. 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.
 
The game will also honor three new inductees into the La Salle Hall of Athletes. Included in this group are Ashley Gale '11 of women's basketball, Meghan McGlinchey '14 of women's cross country and track and field, and the 1989-90 men's basketball team that set a school record with 30 wins and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Hall of Athletes reception and ceremony will be held at The Union Ballroom, located on the second floor of the La Salle Union Building, at 11 a.m. Tickets for the reception and ceremony can be purchased by clicking here.
 
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.
 
Tickets for the game can be purchased by clicking here. Fans can use redeem code HOA20 to receive 20% off tickets for the game.
 
NEWS & NOTES

• The Explorers are coming off a thrilling 76-70 victory over St. Bonaventure on the road on Wednesday to win their third straight game, which is the longest winning streak currently in the A-10 and the team's longest winning streak of the season. In that game, Josh Nickelberry scored a game-high 18 points off the bench and Mamadou Doucoure made a jumper in the paint down the stretch to help seal the victory.
• During this streak, the Explorers also topped George Washington (75-64) and Saint Joseph's (73-65), respectively. The Explorers have averaged 74.7 points per game and allowed only 66.3 per game. 
• The Explorers will look to sweep the season series against UMass after defeating the Minutement, 78-77, on Jan. 11 at UMass. In that game, Jhamir Brickus matched his career high in points with 25 and Khalil Brantley blocked a shot on the game's final possession to seal the win.
• The Explorers have three players averaging close to double figures in Brantley, Nickelberry, and Fousseyni Drame. The threesome has combined for 34.3 points per game, with Brantley scoring 14.2 per game, Nickelberry chipping in 10.8 per contest, and Drame adding 9.3 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 591-338 career record and a 334-135 mark in conference games.

COMING OFF THE BENCH

• The Explorers have one of the top benches in the country, as they are ranked 51st in the NCAA in bench points per game at 24.79 points per game.
• The Explorers have seen their bench score over 30 points in a game six times this season, including 33 points in their win over Saint Joseph's last Sunday. 

BUCKETS FOR NICKELBERRY

• Nickelberry has getting buckets for the Explorers while coming off the bench, as he has scored 62 points in his last four games, including a game-high 18 points in the Explorers' win over St. Bonaventure. Nickelberry has averaged 15.5 points per game during this stretch after also netting 16 against both Saint Joseph's and Rhode Island, and scored 12 against George Washington.
• Nickelberry ranks second on the team in points per game (10.8), 10th in the A-10 in 3-pointers made per game (2.1), and 20th in the A-10 in 3-point field goal percentage (.370).
• The senior guard posted his fourth 20-point game of the season after netting 21 points against VCU. Nickelberry has eight career 20-point games and has scored in double figures in 24 career contests. Nickelberry also has led the team in scoring 14 times in his career at La Salle.
• Nickelberry put together his best scoring performance of the season in the first game of the Jamaica Classic, dropping 26 on ACC foe Wake Forest. In the game, Nickelberry shot at an efficient clip, going 6-for 11 from 3-point range, 7-for-14 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
• Nickelberry produced the best two-game scoring span of his Explorer career after pouring in 42 combined points in the first two games of the season against Villanova and Wagner. For the second straight season opener, Nickelberry dropped 22 points against the Wildcats on 7-of-12 shooting, including 5-for-9 from beyond the arc. Against Wagner, Nickelberry netted 20 points. 

SCOUTING UMASS

• The Minutemen enter the game at 13-11 and 4-8 in A-10 play after losing to Fordham, 77-67, on Wednesday on the road.
• The Minutemen's four wins in conference play were against Saint Louis (90-81), Rhode Island (75-65), Richmond (85-76), and Duquesne (87-79), respectively. All of their A-10 wins came at home.
• The Minutemen are 0-6 in A-10 play on the road this season, losing to St. Bonaventure (83-64), George Washington (81-73), VCU (83-55), Saint Joseph's (74-68), George Mason (70-59), and Fordham.
• The Minutemen have three players averaging double figures in Noah Fernandes, Matt Cross and RJ Luis. Fernandes leads the way with 13.4 points per game, Cross has averaged 13.1 points per game, and Luis has averaged 10.7 points per game.
• UMass is led by Frank Martin, who is in his first season as head coach for the Minutemen. Coaching his 16th season overall after being the head coach at Kansas State and South Carolina, Martin has a 301-212 career record.