Skip to content

La Salle's Galloway display all-around game against St. Joseph's

The senior guard had 16 points and 12 assists in a 76-64 win

La Salle has earned the first basketball title in what is shaping up as a season of accomplishment for the Explorers. With point guard Tyreek Duren tying a career high by scoring 29 points, and Ramon Galloway adding 16 points, 12 assists, and his usual stellar defense, La Salle defeated St. Joseph's, 76-64, on Saturday at a sold-out Palestra.

The Explorers have clinched at least a share of the Big Five title. La Salle is 18-6 overall, 8-3 in the Atlantic Ten, and 3-0 in the Big Five. The Explorers can earn the outright Big Five title with a win on Thursday at Temple.

It's the first Big Five title with all five teams scheduled to play each other for La Salle since the 1989-1990 season. The Explorers won two subsequent titles, but it was during a time when the teams played only two Big Five games each.

"Winning the Big Five for me is huge because this is my last year and I don't have another chance to win it," Galloway said.

This was the latest Palestra magic for Duren. He also scored 29 points in an 82-57 win over Penn State at the Palestra on Dec. 5. It's a building that brings out the best in the former Neumann-Goretti star.

"It's the whole atmosphere," said Duren, who shot 5 of 6 from beyond the arc. "It's something about it, when you are on the court you look up and you are the centerpiece and everything is focused on what you and your team do, and you can't let the crowd down, and it definitely boosts you up."

St. Joseph's is now 14-10 overall, 5-6 in the A-10, and 2-2 in the Big Five. The Hawks received 16 points from Halil Kanacevic.

St. Joseph's trailed by 29-24 at halftime and never got the deficit under five points in the second half.

For the game, La Salle shot 10 for 16 from beyond the arc, while the Hawks were 5 for 15.

The Hawks entered the game as the A-10's second-best three-point field goal defensive team (.31.6 percent), with La Salle first (30.3 percent).

"One of the intangibles was the man-to-man [defense]," St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli said. "Basically it was: Can you win your matchup and across the board? And we didn't win enough of those matchups."

La Salle also received a solid 10-point, seven-rebound effort from 6-8 sophomore Jerrell Wright.

The Explorers were impressive sharing the ball, with 22 assists on their 28 field goals. Duren had three assists and no turnovers.

The Explorers are making a serious run at their first NCAA tournament berth since 1991-92.

La Salle has taken another step up from last season, when it finished 21-13 and earned a bid to the NIT.

"Last year we were pretty good and this year we are a little better," La Salle coach John Giannini said. "We are winning more close games because we are a little tougher, smarter, and a little better."

La Salle coach John Gianinni praises Ramon Galloway's all-round game.

philly.com/

collegevidoes

Contact Marc Narducci at mnarducci@phillynews.com or @sjnard on Twitter.

Join The Conversation