PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle men's basketball team put up a valiant effort against the No. 16 Dayton Flyers at Tom Gola Arena on Tuesday. Unfortunately for the Explorers, they would come up just short, falling by a final score of 66-54.
 
QUOTE FROM COACH DUNPHY: "We got it to 45-42, and we had a couple of chances at the rim, we just couldn't finish. We just rushed ourselves on a couple of plays, we needed better poise down there and we weren't poised enough."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first half was controlled by Dayton, who had a 13-point lead at the break and shot 50 percent from the field.
• The Flyers pushed their advantage to 15 before the Explorers began to show signs of life.
• A pair of three-pointers, one each from Daeshon Shepherd and Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi, brought La Salle to within 40-31.
• After the visitors bumped the cushion back to 12, the Explorers scored nine straight in just 1:42 to put the score at 45-42 and force Dayton to call timeout.
• The two teams traded three-pointers on consecutive possessions before the Flyers took control with seven straight.
• .La Salle continued to fight back and made every effort to get to within striking distance but Dayton was able to fend the Explorers off to improve to 16-2 on the year.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Andres Marrero led the way for the Explorers, putting up 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting including three three-pointers.
• Shepherd and Vahlberg Fasasi both finish with six points and seven rebounds.
• The Explorers put up another positive assist to turnover ratio finishing with 12 assists and 10 turnovers, with only three turnovers in the second half.
• All eight Explorers that entered the game would score in this one. Marrero (13), Brantley (9), Brickus (9), Shepherd (6), Vahlberg-Fasasi (6), Gill (5), Jocius (4), and Zan (2).
• The Flyers outscored the Explorers, 38-12, in points in the paint thanks in large part to DaRon Holmes II, who finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks.

UP NEXT

• The Explorers will head to Washington D.C. to take on George Washington on Saturday, January 27.
• It is the first of two games between the two this season. Scheduled tip-off time is 6:00, and the game will air live on ESPN+.