PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle men's basketball team will seek to get back in the win column as the Explorers host the Richmond Spiders. The game is Gold Rush themed. Fans are encouraged to wear gold, with the first 250 students in attendance receiving an Olney Outlaws gold rush t-shirt.
The game 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 71, RHODE ISLAND 86
- Rhode Island got to a 15-point lead with a little six minutes remaining in the first half. The Explorers closed the gap with a 15-4 run to conclude the first, punctuated by a Corey McKeithan three-pointer as the half expired.
- The Rams came out fast in the second half, building a 13 point lead in the first four minutes of the second half. La Salle cut the lead to as little as five points twice, but each time, Rhode Island responded.
- Despite cutting the lead to single-digits with under two minutes remaining, the Rams took the win.
- Deuce Jones put on what was perhaps the best individual performance of the season by an Explorer, registering a stat line of 20 points, 11 rebounds, 6 steals, and four assists. He set new career-highs in rebounds and steals, while his double-double is the first by a La Salle freshman since March of 2020.
NEWS AND NOTES
- Rebounding has been established as the Explorers' calling card this season. La Salle ranks fifth in the A-10 in rebounding (37.3), its most rebounds per game since 2010-11 (38.6). 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 (+1.4) and fourth in turnovers (10.7).
- Corey McKeithan leads La Salle in scoring with 15.0 points, good for 14th in the conference. The guard has scored in double-figures in six of his last seven games.
- Demetrius Lilley is pulling down 6.2 boards per game, ranking 14th in the Atlantic-10. The forward reached double-figures against Rhode Island for the first time since the Explorers visited UMass in mid-January.
- Daeshon Shepherd is third on the team in scoring, adding 10.9 points per game. He has scored in double-figures in 18 of the Explorers' 26 games, including eight of the last eleven outings.
- Jones has dazzled in his rookie campaign. He set a La Salle program record with his sixth Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Week award on Monday. The guard leads all A-10 freshmen in both points (12.0) and assists (2.6) per game . His double-double is only the third by a freshman in the conference this season and sixth from an Explorer rookie since 2000.
- Jahlil White rounds out the starting five. The graduate transfer from Temple is averaging 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. White has reached double-figures in four of his last five outings. He set a career-high, going 3-3 from beyond the arc at Rhode Island.
SCOUTING RICHMOND
- Richmond had one of its best seasons in years last season, taking a share of the regular season A-10 crown and advancing to the NIT. The Spiders have disappointed this season, with a 9-17 record and a 4-9 mark in conference.
- DeLonnie Hunt leads Richmond with 16.8 points per game. Dusan Neskovic is adding 13.9 points per contest.
- Philadelphia area native Chris Mooney leads Richmond in his 20th season. He is 357-285 during his time in Virginia's capital city. He has amassed a career record of 399-324.
SERIES HISTORY AGAINST RICHMOND
- La Salle and Richmond first met on the floor in 1955, with the Explorers taking the win, 91-80. La Salle advanced to the national championship game later that season where it fell to San Francisco, 77-63 in a game featuring Tom Gola and Bill Russell.
- Richmond holds the all-time series lead, 24-18. The two have shared a home in the Atlantic-10 since the Spiders joined the conference in 2005.
- The two sides met last season in Richmond, with the Explorers falling 82-65.
