Washington, D.C. – For the fourth consecutive season, the La Salle men's basketball team claimed a victory in its first game of A-10 tournament play, taking down the Massachusetts Minutemen, 78-71, on Wednesday evening at Capital One Arena. La Salle will face the Saint Joesph's Hawks for the fourth time this season tomorrow night, with tip-off set for 7:30 pm.
 
Tied at 67 with 2:57 remaining. La Salle scored seven straight points, with five of the seven coming at the free-throw line. Graduate student Corey McKeithan led La Salle with a career-high 30 points, the most by an Explorer this season, while playing the entire 40 minutes.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half:

• La Salle got out to an early 12-6 lead thanks to a balanced scoring attack and stingy defense.
• The Minutemen picked up the pace quickly via three-pointers, but the Explorers responded in short order thanks to a three by McKeithan and a traditional three-point play by Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi.
• The Minutemen went on an 8-0 run to take its first lead of the game, 22-21. Ryan Zan and Etienne converted back-to-back baskets to retake the lead.
• Zan scored five of La Salle's next seven to give La Salle a 28-25 advantage with 6:58 left.
• The two teams traded baskets until La Salle stalled the Minutemen offense out. The Explorers held UMass without a basket for the final 4:13 of the first half, allowing the Blue & Gold to get out to a 39-30 lead at the half.

Second Half:

• McKeithan scored the first points of the half, but the Minutemen came back with eight straight points to slice the lead to three points at 41-38.
• Despite a steal and dunk from Deuce Jones, UMass tied the game at 43 with 16:04 remaining. The Minutemen would take their first lead less than two minutes later, 47-45.
• La Salle battled through a cold stretch from the field as the Minutemen expanded their lead to four, 52-48. A Zan jumper ended the cold stretch.
• Daeshon Shepherd converted an and-one opportunity to retake the lead, 53-52. UMass retook the lead, but McKeithan would not be denied, scoring five straight points to put the Explorers in the driver's seat.
• UMass came back to tie the game at 58. From there, the teams began to trade baskets down the stretch.
• With the teams tied at 62, La Salle scored a critical four consecutive points, helped by a flagrant foul on the Minutemen. UMass' Rashool Diggens came right back with a three and free throw on the next possession, 66-66, setting up the final run for La Salle.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• McKeithan's 30 points are the second-most by an Explorer in A-10 tournament history, behind only Jordan Price in 2016 (36).
• Zan scored a season-high nine points to go with five rebounds, also a season-high.
• Vahlberg Fasasi reached double figures for the fourth consecutive game. He tied his career-high in rebounds with seven.
• Jones reached double-figures with ten points for the eighth time in the last seven games.

NEXT UP
La Salle advances to the second round where they will play an extremely rare fourth game against the Saint Joseph's Hawks. The game will tip at approximately 7:30 p.m. on USA Network.