Men's Basketball | February 23, 2024

PHILADELPHIA – Fresh off of two straight wins over NCAA NET top 100 opponents, La Salle will host the Rhode Island Rams for a critical battle in the A-10 standings. The game, which will take place on La Salle's campus at Tom Gola Arena, is set to tipoff at noon. The matchup will air live nationally on USA Network.

The first 500 students in attendance will receive a free blackout t-shirt, courtesy of presenting sponsor Sherwin Williams. One lucky student could also walk away with a JBL PartyBox speaker. An online radio broadcast via goexplorers.com will be available, as Kale Beers will provide the play-by-play. In addition, Explorers fans can follow the team on X/Twitter @LaSalle_MBB and Instagram @lasallembb.

NEWS & NOTES

• La Salle last defeated the St. Bonaventure Bonnies by a score of 72-59. It is the Explorers' first time winning back-to-back games since early December when the team took down Loyola (MD) and Lafayette.
• The team got out to an early lead and did not look back after a 9-2 at the end of the first half. It is the second straight game La Salle had a run at the end of the first frame.
• A 10-0 run expanded the lead from 10 to 20 points midway through the second half to seal the victory for the Explorers.
• Daeshon Shepherd's 23 points are a new career-high for the guard. It is his fourth straight game in double-figures, he is averaging 17.8 points during that span.
• Khalil Brantley set a career-high for assists against a Division I opponent with seven. He set his overall career-high against Division III Rosemont with 12.
• Jhamir Brickus scored 15 points to go with five assists. It is his 61st game scoring in double-figures and 31st with five or more assists. His final assist was the 400^th in his career. He is only the tenth player in program history to reach the milestone.
• Freshman Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi has scored 10 points in each of his last two games. It is the first time in his career recording back-to-back games in double-figures.

SCOUTING RHODE ISLAND

• Rhode Island is 11-15 and 5-8 in the Atlantic-10. The Rams have dropped three straight games and four of the last five.
• The team is coming off an 85-77 loss to A-10 power Richmond. The Rams led at halftime but were overwhelmed by a huge second half from the Spiders.
• Guard Jaden House leads the team in scoring with 15.4 points per game. He is a transfer from High Point where he was a thousand-point scorer in three seasons.
• David Green is second on the team in scoring with 14.3 points per game. He missed a large portion of the season but has played most of the conference schedule.
• A familiar face to A-10 fans, Archie Miller patrols the sidelines for the Rams. Miller coached at Dayton for six seasons where he took the team to four straight NCAA tournaments including the 2014 Elite Eight. After spending four seasons at Indiana, Miller returned to the league last season. He is 226-158 in his career and 20-37 at Rhode Island.

SERIES HISTORY

• La Salle and Rhode Island have shared a home in the A-10 since 1995 when Explorers joined the league. Rhode Island has been an A-10 member since 1980, four years after the conference was formed.
• The two have met 44 times on the floor. The Rams hold an 11-33 series lead.
• The two met earlier in the year, with Rhode Island pulling out a narrow 71-69 victory. Brickus led the team with 19 points, including his 1000^th point.