PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle men's basketball team heads to Hagan Arena for a battle with Big 5 rival, the Saint Joseph's Hawks. This will be the 130
th meeting between the Explorers and Hawks.
The contest will be broadcast on ESPN+. 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 55, UMASS 78
- La Salle dropped its second straight game on Sunday.
- The first half was very competitive, with the Explorers leading with five minutes to go.
- UMass came out hot, taking a ten point lead within four minutes and stretching it to 18 with ten to go. The Blue & Gold could not close the gap.
- Corey McKeithan scored 17 points to lead the Explorers. Ryan Zan set a new season-high with eight points, tying season-highs in several other categories.
NEWS AND NOTES
- Rebounding has been established as the Explorers' calling card this season. La Salle ranks fifth in the A-10 in rebounding (37.6), its most rebounds per game since 1990-91 (40.2). The Explorers check in the top 100 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).
- The Explorers are fifth in the conference in turnover margin (+1.5) and fourth in turnovers (10.6).
- McKeithan leads La Salle in scoring with 15.2 points, good for 13th in the conference.
- Demetrius Lilley is pulling down 6.5 boards per game, ranking 11th in the Atlantic-10.
- Daeshon Shepherd is third on the team in scoring, adding 11.2 points per game. He has scored in double-figures in 17 of the Explorers' 24 games, including seven of the last nine outings.
- Deuce Jones has dazzled in his rookie campaign. He is the first Explorer to win Rookie of the Week five times in the same season since 2002-03 when Gary Neal accomplished the same feat. Jones leads the A-10 in assists amongst freshmen (2.5 apg) and in scoring (11.3 ppg).
- Jahlil White rounds out the starting five. The graduate transfer from Temple is averaging 9.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. White sat out last game due to an injury. He has reached double-digits in three consecutive games for the first time this season.
- Mac Etienne has started the last five games. He is averaging 4.9 in both points and rebounds per game.
SCOUTING SAINT JOSEPH'S
- The Hawks are 14-9 and 5-5 in the Atlantic-10.
- St. Joe's has flipped wins and losses in the last eight games. The Hawks most recently defeated Saint Louis, 76-63.
- The trio of Xzayvier Brown, Rasheer Fleming, and Erik Reynolds II leads the Hawks, each scoring over 15 points per game. Fleming also adds a team-leading 9.1 rebounds per game.
- The Hawks are led by Billy Lange in his sixth season. He is 205-234 in his career and 73-98 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 129 meetings.
- The Hawks hold the advantage, 71-58. 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 earlier this season in the Big 5 Classic Championship Game at the Wells Fargo Center. The short-handed Explorers fell to the Hawks, 82-68.
