Men's Basketball | March 8, 2023

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The 11^th-seeded La Salle men's basketball team will try to continue its run in the Atlantic 10 Championship Tournament on Wednesday night when it faces sixth-seeded Duquesne in the second round at Barclays Center. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
The Explorers will look to advance to the A-10 quarterfinal round for the 12^th time in program history and for the first time since 2015 when they topped Massachusetts, 76-69, in the second round. The winner between the Explorers and Dukes will face No. 3 Fordham in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
 
The game will be televised on USA Network. Explorers fans can also listen to the broadcast through GoExplorers.com/watch, with Kale Beers, Rich Prendergast and Rich Tarr delivering the play-by-play, color commentary, and sideline reporting. In addition, Explorers fans can follow the team on Twitter @LaSalle_MBB and Instagram @lasallembb.
 
There will also be a pre-game and postgame reception at McMahon's Public House. Click here to register for the event!
 
NEWS & NOTES

• After going on a five-game losing streak to end the regular season, the 11th-seeded Explorers earned a 73-56 victory over No. 14 Rhode Island in Tuesday's first round. In the opening-round win, the Explorers put together their best defensive performance of the year, holding their first opponent to under 60 points in a game this season and limiting the Rams to 29.3 percent from the field. They also saw Jhamir Brickus score 18 points and Daeshon Shepherd adding 15 points and 11 rebounds.
• The Explorers will face Duquesne for the second time in two weeks. The Explorers took on the Dukes on Feb. 22 at Tom Gola Arena at TruMark Financial Center, but Duquesne rolled to a 91-74 win.
• The Explorers have four players averaging close to double figures in Khalil Brantley, Josh Nickelberry, Brickus, and Fousseyni Drame. The foursome has combined for 43.4 points per game, with Brantley scoring 13.9 per game, Nickelberry chipping in 11.3 per contest, Brickus scoring 9.3 per game, and Drame adding 8.9 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 594-343 career record and a 336-140 mark in conference games. 

GETTIN' JIGGY WITH IT

• Jhamir "Jig" Brickus has shown he can step up and score, as evident of his career-high 25 points that he scored twice this year against Penn and UMass plus his game-high 18 points against Rhode Island in the opening round of the A-10 Tournament.
• In the Explorers' win against Penn on Dec, 3, Brickus shot 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.
• Against UMass, Brickus scored 22 of his career-high 25 points in the second half. He also matched his career high in threes with six — all of which came in the second half — and his season-best in field goals made with nine.
• Brickus came up with big plays in the Explorers' win over Rhode Island on Jan. 7. He made three clutch free throws with 3.7 seconds left in regulation to tie the game and send it to overtime. In overtime, he scored five of the team's six points, including the go-ahead three-pointer with 31.3 seconds left.
• Brickus has shot well from three-point range, as he ranks 11th in the A-10 in three-point field goal percentage at 38.8 (38-for-98).
• Brickus has scored in double figures in 15 contests this season.
• Brickus also has shown great stamina for La Salle, playing 32.5 minutes per game, which is good for 19th in the A-10.

LA SALLE HISTORY IN THE A-10 TOURNAMENT

• The Explorers have a 12-24 record in A-10 Tournament games since joining the conference in 1995-96.
• The Explorers have made the quarterfinals 11 times and the semifinals once. Their last quarterfinal appearance was in 2015, when they dropped a 67-66 contest to Davidson. They only semifinal appearance was in 2002, when they fell to Richmond by a 68-60 count.
• Last season, the Explorers advanced to the second round of the 2022 A-10 Championship by beating rival Saint Joseph's, 63-56, in the first round at Capital One Arena. The Explorers' win over the Hawks was the third against them that season. It also marked the 12th victory for the Explorers in tournament history and the fifth time since 2015 that they made the second round of the event.
• Unfortunately, the Explorers' 2022 campaign ended in the second round with a 71-51 loss to fifth-seeded Saint Louis.

SUPPORT FROM SHEPHERD

• Daeshon Shepherd has helped the Explorers while coming off the bench.
• Shepherd has posted two career double-doubles this season, including a 15-point, 11-rebound performance against Rhode Island in the first round of the A-10 Tournament. Shepherd also netted 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against Saint Louis on Jan. 18.
• Shepherd has also done well on the glass, averaging 4.5 rebounds per game, good for third on the team this season.

SERIES HISTORY AGAINST DUQUESNE

• Wednesday's contest is the 81st meeting between the Explorers and the Dukes.
• The matchup between La Salle and Duquesne dates back to 1940, with La Salle leading the series at 45-35.
• The Explorers have won 10 of the last 14 meetings with them dating back to Jan. 28, 2012.
• The Explorers will face the Dukes in the A-10 Tournament for the third time in their series history. The Explorers won both meetings against them in the first round, posting an 82-79 win in 2008 and an 88-73 victory in 2016. 

SCOUTING DUQUESNE

• The Dukes enter the tournament after finishing 8-6 in A-10 play and 20-11 overall in the regular season.
• When it comes to the A-10 Tournament, the Dukes have not performed particularly well recently, as they have lost seven of their last eight conference tournament games dating back to 2015. Their lone win came in 2021, when they topped Richmond, 67-62, in the second round.
• The Dukes have two players averaging double figures in scoring in Dae Dae Grant and Jimmy Clark III. Grant leads the team with 15.2 points per game, while Clark III has added 11.7 points per game.
• Duquesne is led by Keith Dambrot, who is in his sixth season as head coach for the Dukes. Coaching his 25th season overall, Dambrot has a 91-82 record with the Dukes and a 504-291 career record overall.