PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle men's basketball team will face its most played opponent in program history on Saturday night, the Saint Joseph's Hawks, in the Big 5 Classic Championship game. The contest will tip 25 minutes following the conclusion of the third-place game at approximately 7 p.m. on NBC Sports Philadelphia plus. Tickets are available through the Wells Fargo Center ticket office.
The game audio will also be streamed with Kale Beers providing play-by-play. Additionally, Explorers fans can follow the team on X/Twitter @LaSalle_MBB and Instagram @LaSalleMBB.
LAST TIME OUT - LA SALLE 68, NORTHEASTERN 82
- La Salle played its second true road game of the season on Tuesday, facing off against the Northeastern Huskies. The Explorers fell, 82-68.
- After falling behind early, La Salle closed the gap to four points, 31-27, heading into halftime.
- Corey McKeithan helped bring the gap to one several times in the first 10 minutes of the second half, including featuring prominently during an 11-0 run that cut to lead to 48-47.
- The Explorers trailed by four points with five minutes left, but a 17-7 Northeastern run buried La Salle, handing the team its first true road loss of the season.
- McKeithan scored 20-plus points for the third straight game (21). Daeshon Shepherd set a season-high with 18 points.
NEWS AND NOTES
- A win would give La Salle its Big 5 championship since 2013 and its first outright victory since 1990.
- The Explorers are a perfect 5-0 in men's basketball in the city of Philadelphia. 4-0 at John Glaser Arena, and a victory at Drexel in mid-November.
- McKeithan has proven to be one of the best transfer portal finds in college basketball this season. The transfer guard ranks in the top ten in the A-10 in field goals (62/2nd) points (19.2/4th), 3 point FGs (2.8/4th), and free throw percentage (5th/.857) while ranking in the top 15 in several other areas. The guard is the only player in the A-10 this season with back-to-back 25+ point performances and one of 20 players in the country with three 25+ point performances this year.
- La Salle has been ranked near the top of the conference in several categories, particularly in the rebounding area. The Explorers are top six in all major rebounding categories, including third in offensive rebounds (12).
- In addition to McKeithan, transfers Demetrius Lilley and White have started every game this season. Lilley is pulling down 7.8 boards per game, 5th in the Atlantic-10. If the season ended today, he would rank as the Explorers' best rebounder since All-Atlantic-10 forward B.J. Johnson grabbed 8.3 per game in 2017-28.
- White has been a dynamic addition in the "point-forward" role. The graduate transfer is having the best statistical season of his career, with career-bests in both points (11.8) and rebounds (6.6) in addition to standing out on the defensive side of the ball.
- Guards Marrero and Shepherd round out the starting lineup. Shepherd scored in double figures for the fourth consecutive game against Northeastern. Marrero is adding 8.3 points per game and is third on the squad in assists.
SCOUTING SAINT JOSEPH'S
- In what could be considered its most anticipated season in years, the Hawks are 5-3.
- St. Joe's is one of the more mercurial teams in the country, with impressive wins over Texas Tech and Villanova, but defeats at the hands of Central Connecticut State, and Princeton.
- The Hawks are led by Billy Lange in his sixth season. He is 195-228 in his career and 64-94 during his time on Hawk Hill.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST SAINT JOSEPH'S
- Saint Joseph's is La Salle's most-played opponent in program history, with 128 meetings.
- The Hawks hold the advantage, 70-58. The two began sharing a conference in 1995 when La Salle joined the Atlantic-10. Both are founding members of the Big 5.
- The two met twice last season. Saint Joseph's took both games, including a nail-biter at Tom Gola Arena.
- This is the second year of the Big 5 Classic. Last season, the Explorers defeated Penn in an absolute thriller, 93-92 overtime. Khalil Brantley made national headlines, including being named "The Best Thing I Saw Tonight" by Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter.
