Men's Basketball | February 14, 2023

PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle men's basketball team goes for its fifth consecutive win on Wednesday when it hosts Richmond at Tom Gola Arena at TruMark Financial Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
 
The game will be televised on ESPN+, with Kale Beels and Rich Tarr 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 is also 215 Philly Game, honoring the city of Philadelphia. The first 400 fans in the stands will receive a Philadelphia themed T-shirt.
 
Tickets for the game can be purchased by clicking here. Fans can use redeem code 215 to receive 25% off tickets for 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.
 
NEWS & NOTES

• The Explorers (12-13, 6-6 A-10) are coming off a 86-72 victory against UMass at home on Saturday to win their fourth straight game, which is the longest winning streak currently in the A-10. In that game, Josh Nickelberry scored a game-high 21 points after making a career-high seven 3-pointers off the bench and the Explorers saw Khalil Brantley (17), Daeshon Shepherd (13), Anwar Gill (12) and Rokas Jocius (12) each score in double figures.
• During this streak, the Explorers also topped George Washington (75-64), Saint Joseph's (73-65), and St. Bonaventure (76-70), respectively. The Explorers have averaged 77.5 points per game and allowed only 67.8 per game.  
• The Explorers have three players averaging close to double figures in Brantley, Nickelberry, and Fousseyni Drame. The threesome has combined for 34.6 points per game, with Brantley scoring 14.3 per game, Nickelberry chipping in 11.2 per contest, and Drame adding 9.1 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 592-338 career record and a 335-135 mark in conference games.

COMING OFF THE BENCH

• The Explorers have one of the top benches in the country, as they are ranked 30th in the NCAA in bench points per game at 26.12 points per game.
• The Explorers have seen their bench score over 30 points in a game seven times this season, including a whopping 58 points in their win over UMass last Saturday.

BIG GAME BRANTLEY

• Brantley currently ranks seventh in the Atlantic 10 in assists per game with 4.0, seventh in the conference in steals per game at 1.6, 14th in the conference in assists/turnover ratio at 1.4, 15th in the A-10 in points per game at 14.3 per game, 16th in the conference in minutes at 33.1, and 20th in the conference in free throw percentage at .755.
• The sophomore guard has scored in double figures in 19 of 23 games this year.
• Brantley came up big in the Explorers' 77-75 overtime win over Rhode Island, as he dropped a career-high 29 points in the win. He scored 17 of his 29 points in the second half, added a team-high eight rebounds, and went 9-for-10 from the free-throw line while playing a career-high 43 minutes.
• In La Salle's victory over UMass, Brantley came up with a block on Minutemen guard Noah Fernandes' shot attempt from the right side to end the game and seal the win. He also led the team with seven rebounds and six assists.
• In the Explorers' win over Howard, Brantley scored 24 points, 21 of which came in the second half. Brantley had a career day from three-point range as well, going a perfect 4-for-4 — all of which came in the second half. He also stepped up at the foul line, going 10-for-12 from the charity stripe.
• Brantley filled the stat sheet in the Explorers' game against Temple, as he led the team in points (14), rebounds (nine), steals (five) and assists (four).
• Brantley had posted one of his best performances in a La Salle uniform against Wagner on Nov. 12, scoring a career-high 22 points at the time while handing out six assists.
• In the final 12 minutes against Wagner, the Bronx, N.Y. native scored 12 points. He also shot a career-best 12-for-15 from the free-throw line.
• In La Salle's win over Queens on Nov. 15, Brantley had 18 points, giving him the best two-game scoring stretch of his career after netting 40 total points. He also had six assists to give him back-to-back games in which he had six assists or more for the first time in his career.

SCOUTING RICHMOND

• The Spiders enter the game at 13-13 and 6-7 in A-10 play after beating Loyola Chicago, 74-71, on Saturday at home. The win was their second victory in their last three games after they also topped Fordham, 68-58, at home.
• The Spiders' other four wins in conference play were against George Washington (73-63), Duquesne (75-73), Davidson (61-57), and Rhode Island (64-57), respectively.
• The Spiders are 1-5 in A-10 play on the road this season, with their lone win coming against Davidson.  They have lost to George Mason (62-58), St. Bonaventure (71-63), UMass (85-76), Dayton (86-60), and George Washington (107-105 in double overtime), respectively.
• The Spiders are led by Tyler Burton, who ranks second in the A-10 in points per game at 19.0 and fifth in the conference in rebounds per game with 7.5
• Richmond is led by Chris Mooney, who is in his 18th season as head coach for the Spiders. Coaching his 21st season overall after being the head coach at Air Force and Arcadia, Mooney has a 325-257 record at Richmond and a 367-296 career record overall.