La Salle’s hot streak continues in classic Big 5 road victory against Drexel

In what was described by both La Salle coach Fran Dunphy and Drexel coach Zach Spiker as a classic Big 5 men’s basketball game, the Explorers prevailed in a gritty and gripping contest over the host Dragons on Saturday, 71-68.

When La Salled jumped out to a 16-point lead in the first half, it looked as if it might simply be the Explorers’ night. However, in the second half, Drexel surged all the way back, even taking a lead with just 1 minute, 30 seconds remaining.

Ultimately, the Explorers snagged the victory, setting themselves up for a game against Temple on Nov. 30 for the right to compete for the Big 5 Classic crown on Dec. 7.

Here’s what we noticed.

The difference in this game, ultimately, was the disparate performance between the two teams at the free-throw line. La Salle (4-0) shot 91.7%, converting on all but one of their 12 attempts. Drexel (2-2), on the other hand, shot a woeful 4-for-11 from the charity stripe.

“That’s a tough one to teach out, right?” Spiker said of the free throws. “We have to try to rep those out and make sure we’re putting guys in situations and practicing to replicate that environment as best we can without having 3,000 people screaming at you.”

A large difference in the game was also reflected in the ability to convert turnovers into points. Drexel turned over the ball nine times, which led to a staggering 19 points for the Explorers. Additionally, the Dragons had multiple missed layups and dunks that directly resulted in points the other way.

La Salle had 10 turnovers, and the Dragons were largely unable to capitalize, generating a mere eight points.

Regarding the unforced errors that ended up costing his team, Spiker explained that “certainly there were some things that could have impacted the outcome.”

The Dragons have been led by two main faces through the first three games of Drexel’s season, with Kobe MaGee and Yame Butler forced to do much of the heavy lifting offensively. In this matchup, the two were unable to score with much efficiency. This meant that, for the first time, the role players behind Yame Butler and Kobe MaGee would have to step up into more than just a complementary role.

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Deuce Drake, who had struggled mightily going into the game, erupted for 18 points on 3-of-4 shooting from three. Victor Panov, who had not seemed to be a great fit for this Drexel team in earlier games, but found niche against the Explorers en route to dropping 15 points on 70% shooting. All told, the Dragons had five players score in double digits.

Jahlil White, Corey McKeithan, and Demetrius Lilley all chipped in exceptional individual efforts for Dunphy’s Explorers. The trio contributed 19, 17, and 18 points, respectively. McKeithan, in particular, was a problem that Drexel could not solve, going 3-for-6 from deep and creating chances seemingly every time he drove to the basket.

White was efficient, scoring a game-high 19 points behind 7-of-9 shooting. Additionally, the Temple transfer played a large role on defense, where he contributed three blocks and two steals, often matched up alongside Drexel’s best players.

“It’s a lesson sometimes, as teams, as players, and sometimes even as coaches, you’ve got to relearn,” Spiker said regarding Drexel’s effort. “I hope that our focus in certain areas is important moving forward because of this.”

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