Clutch free throws down the stretch make the difference in a La Salle win over Rhode Island
Corey McKeithan finished with a game-high 20 points for the Explorers (11-9, 3-4 Atlantic 10), six of which came from the foul line
In the first 38 minutes of its game with Rhode Island, La Salle shot 13-of-22 from the free throw line.
In the final two minutes, the Explorers went 10-for-10 from the charity stripe to fuel a 70-64 victory over the Rams on Saturday inside John Glaser Arena.
Corey McKeithan finished with a game-high 20 points for the Explorers (11-9, 3-4 Atlantic 10), six of which came from the foul line in the final 27 seconds. Senior guard Daeshon Shepherd finished with a double-double, notching 11 points and 10 rebounds, as the win improved La Salle to 8-1 at home this season.
Jaden House and Sebastian Thomas led Rhode Island (14-6, 3-5) with 16 points apiece.
Execution down the stretch
While the Explorers’ foul shooting was unreliable in the first half, it saved them in the second. It was an important swing in a game between two physical teams that featured 45 combined fouls.
“I thought it was hard for the officials to make a perfect call without reviewing every play,” said La Salle coach Fran Dunphy. “I think our defense is what saved us, overall, and then the foul shooting was very good at the end. We did a good job of getting the ball to the right guys in the right spots.”
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McKeithan, who recorded his seventh performance with 20 or more points of the season, was often the right guy in the right spot.
“He’s somebody we really rely on,” Dunphy said. “He’s a very important part of what we do.”
Lilley sidelined
The Explorers were without Demetrius Lilley, the team’s leading rebounder. Lilley, a junior forward was in a walking boot on his left leg towards the end of the Explorer’s bench. He sat out with what Dunphy called a “lower-body injury.” The injury was not suffered in La Salle’s previous game against Saint Louis earlier in the week.
“It’s just something that developed,” Dunphy said. “We’ll get the MRI ... on Monday and see. ... He’s got some pain in there, we’ve got to figure out why.”
Lilley, who has averaged 8.5 points and 7.1 rebounds across 19 games this season, would be a significant loss for the Explorers.
Up next
The win over Rhode Island was the first of three games at home for the Explorers. La Salle faces off with Fordham (8-11, 0-6 A-10) at John Glaser Arena on Wednesday (7 p.m., Peacock), and hosts George Washington (14-6, 3-4 A-10) on Saturday (2:30 p.m., USA Network).
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