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La Salle Wins Third Straight Explorers outlast Charlotte in 2OT
One of the more talented teams in the Atlantic 10 from an individual standpoint may be hitting their stride at just the right time. Needing two different comebacks to get the game into double overtime La Salle (11-11, 3-4) eventually did enough to leave Charlotte with a 91-86 victory. Jerrell Williams and Earl Pettis led five Explorers in double figures with 17 apiece, but without Aaric Murray and Ruben Guillandeaux late the game doesn't even get to overtime. Add in some Cole Stefan heroics at the end of the first overtime and there would be no need for a third time for La Salle. KJ Sherrill led five Charlotte (9-12, 1-6) players in double figures with 24 points off the bench while Javarris Barnett added 19. "It was as good an effort as I've had a team put forth," remarked La Salle head coach Dr. John Giannini. "It's a thrilling game to win and a brutal game to lose because both teams played their heart out, and we couldn't be happier with the result or the effort of our kids or the number of kids who contributed."
The 49ers led by as many as nine points in the first half, taking a 35-28 lead into the intermission thanks to a plus-12 advantage in points from beyond the arc (15-3) and a perfect 10-for-10 from the foul line. But those numbers don't do Charlotte's overall shooting justice, with the 49ers shooting 32.3% from the field (5-for-19 on two point shots). La Salle wasn't much better as they shot 35% but their 16-8 edge in points in the paint kept them afloat. Charlotte would push their lead out to 10 in the first minute of the second half on a Barnett three, but that would trigger a 10-4 spurt from the Explorers over the next three minutes to close to within four. Charlotte would lead by no more than eight the remainder of the half, and leading by six on a Chris Braswell free throw with 2:20 remaining the 49ers looked to be in good shape for the win. But La Salle would get to work about a minute later, scoring four straight points to cut the lead to two at 67-65. Charlotte split a pair of trips to the line, opening the door for an Explorer rally and a Guillandeaux layup with 21 seconds remaining tied the game at 71. Charlotte had a chance to put the game away again with 11 seconds left in the first overtime but Sherrill made just one of two, leading to the Stefan three with eight seconds remaining to send the game into a second extra session. Stefan kicked off that session with another three pointer, and Earl Pettis scored four points to help deliver the victory. Next up for La Salle is a game against Temple on Wednesday night at Gola Arena, and Charlotte hosts Xavier the same night.
By: Raphielle Johnson |