PHILADELPHIA, PA – The La Salle men's basketball team delivered a dominant defensive effort in a 59-46 victory over Rhode Island on Saturday afternoon at John E. Glaser Arena, securing a key Atlantic 10 win in front of a home crowd for Hall of Athletes day.
Redshirt sophomore guard Rob Dockery paced the Explorers with his second double-double of the season, recording 19 points and a personal-best 15 rebounds, while matching career highs in free throws made and attempted (13-for-16). Rookie forward Nas Hart was a force on the boards off the bench, pulling down a career-best 11 rebounds in 26 minutes.
Freshman guard Ashton Walker broke out with his first career double-double, finishing with 18 points, a career-high 10 rebounds, and four three-pointers on just five attempts.
Freshman forward Nas Hart was a force on the boards off the bench, pulling down a career-best 11 rebounds in 26 minutes.
La Salle seized control early, stifling Rhode Island with physical defense and capitalizing on second-chance opportunities. The Explorers stormed to a double-digit lead midway through the first half and extended the margin to 18 points just after halftime following a crucial three-pointer from Walker. By halftime, La Salle led 39-25, holding the Rams to just 31%Â shooting.Â
The Rams managed only 21 points after the break and never got within single digits. La Salle's defense held Rhode Island to just 29.6% shooting from the floor and 11.8% from 3-point range.
The Explorers were relentless on the boards, finishing with three players reaching double-digit rebounds for the first time this season—Dockery with 15, Hart with 11 and Walker with 10. La Salle converted 21 free throws to Rhode Island's 12, capitalizing on an aggressive offensive approach, and matched their lowest opponent point total of the season.
La Salle (8-19, 4-10 A-10) returns to action at John E. Glaser Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 24, hosting George Washington at 6:30 p.m.
