PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle men's basketball team will look to build on two improbable victories as the Explorers travel to Massachusetts for a Sunday afternoon battle. The game will tip at 2p on USA Network.
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 79, DAVIDSON 76
- La Salle came out on top again for its second conference win, completing an epic comeback over the Davidson Wildcats.
- Davidson came out fast, building a 10-point lead less than five minutes in and extending that lead to as many as 17 points in the first half. Six straight points from the Explorers cut the lead to single digits going into halftime.
- The second half was a competitive back-and-forth. After the Blue and Gold cut the lead down to three points, the Wildcats drove the advantage back to nine.
- With the score 56-47, La Salle exploded for a 19-2 run to take control and virtually seal the win, completing one of the largest comebacks in program history.
- Deuce Jones and Daeshon Shepherd stood out, with 20 and 19 points, respectively. Mac Etienne had the best 40-minute rebounding performance since 2021 with 14 boards.
NEWS AND NOTES
- La Salle is having its best offensive season in over three decades. The Explorers are scoring 77.8 points per game, their most since the 1991-92 season (80.1) when the team won the MAAC.
- Ball possession has become a key component of the La Salle attack. La Salle is averaging the most possessions per contest of any Explorer team in the KenPom era, while also limiting turnovers. The Explorers have turned the ball over less than 10 times in each of the last two games.
- Rebounding has been established as the Explorers' calling card this season. La Salle ranks third in the A-10 in rebounding (38.3), its most rebounds per game since 1990-91 (40.2). The Explorers check in at 58th nationally in the category. After the Immaculata game on Dec. 21, the Explorers have recorded two games with over 50 rebounds for the first time since 2011 (4).
- Corey McKeithan leads La Salle in scoring with 16.3 points, good for 9th in the conference.
- Demetrius Lilley is pulling down 7.2 boards per game, ranking 10th in the Atlantic-10. Lilley is in the midst of the best rebounding season by an Explorer since Ed Croswell in 2019-20.
- Shepherd is third on the team in scoring, adding 11.7 points per game. The wing tied his career-high with four three-pointers made against Davidson.
- Jones has dazzled in his rookie campaign. He became the first Explorer to win Rookie of the Week three times in the same season since 2010-11 when Tyreek Duran accomplished the same feat. Jones leads the A-10 in assists amongst freshmen (2.5 apg) and is second in scoring (10.4 ppg). He set a new career-high in assists (5) and tied his career-high in steals on Wednesday.
- Jahlil White rounds out the starting five. The graduate transfer from Temple is averaging 9.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
- Eric Acker has made a large impact of the bench after sitting out the first 10 games of the season. He is adding 10.6 points per game through his first seven games.
SCOUTING UMASS
- The Minutemen have rebounded after a non-conference slate that saw the squad earn a 5-8 record including two losses to NEC opponents. UMass has won two of its last three A-10 games, including taking a 120-118 triple-overtime thriller at Fordham on Wednesday.
- Rahsool Diggins, the 2023-24 Most Improved Player in the A-10, leads the team with 16.1 points per game. Daniel Rivera is another player of note to watch, averaging 12.9 and 7.8 rebounds per game.
- Frank Martin is in his third season with UMass. He previously was at the helm of South Carolina where he led the team to the 2017 Final Four. Martin is 330-239 overall in career and 42-38 during his time in Amherst.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST UMASS
- La Salle and UMass are longtime conference rivals. The Explorers joined the A-10 in 1995, while the Minutemen are founding members from 1976.
- The two have met 49 times, La Salle's fifth most played non Big-5 opponent in program history. UMass holds the series lead, 28-20.
- La Salle defeated the Minutemen, 82-81 in a thriller at Tom Gola Arena last season. Shepherd stood out, scoring 19 points.
