Quick Report: Davidson 82, La Salle 73

Jordan Price (above, in Feb.) had 20 points in his final game in a La Salle uniform. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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Trailing by 19 early in the second half, La Salle turned up the defensive intensity to try and extend its season another day, but the gap proved too much to overcome as the Explorers fell 82-73 to Davidson in the Atlantic 10 tournament second round.

At First…
La Salle couldn’t do anything to stop Davidson through the game’s first 23 minutes. The Wildcats hit 22 of their first 34 field goals (.647) to jump out to a 58-39 lead with 15:16 to play, and though the Explorers were making 50 percent of their own shots, it didn’t look like they would be able to stop Davidson enough for it to matter. Junior forward Payton Aldridge was a big reason for that, as the 6-7 matchup nightmare hit three 3-pointers as he had 20 points alone to that point, while freshman guard Jon Alex Gudmundsson hit four 3-pointers in a 4:29 span near the end of the first half.

Turning Point…
The Explorers closed the gap over a 10-minute stretch, forcing several Wildcats turnovers and getting fast-break layups from B.J. Johnson and Pookie Powell to make it a 66-63 game with 4:29 to play. But Davidson then found its footing again, getting a layup and then put-back dunk from Aldridge to push the gap back to seven. La Salle kept fighting, getting a steal by Amar Stukes on an inbounds pass and Johnson finish to make it a five-point game with 46 seconds left, but foul shooting by Aldridge sealed the deal.

Standout Stars…
Aldridge was terrific throughout, finishing with 33 points on 10-of-15 shooting, completing a double-double with 10 rebounds while also picking up three assists and two blocks (against just one turnover) to boot. Senior Jack Gibbs, the other half of the nation’s No. 2 scoring duo, finished with 18 points, while Gudmundsson had 16 on 4-of-5 3-point shooting and foul shooting.

In his final game in a La Salle uniform, senior guard Jordan Price scored 20 points on 7-11 FG, though he was just 2-6 from the foul line. Johnson added 19 points and five rebounds, while Powell chipped in 16 and eight rebounds before fouling out in the game’s final minutes.

Noteworthy Number(s)…
2: Despite being back at full health, La Salle won just two of its final eight games of the season, losing 10 of 14 overall since running off five straight wins from Jan. 4-19. Despite having numerous high-major transfers in Price, Johnson, Powell and Henry, the Explorers often struggled defensively, giving up 70 points or more nine times over that span.

Up Next…
La Salle (15-15, 9-9): N/A