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Quick Report: La Salle 78, Towson 76

11/14/2015, 5:00pm EST
By Josh Verlin & Daniel Newhart

Jordan Price (above) led the way with 27 points in La Salle's 78-76 win over Towson. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) &
Daniel Newhart (@danny_newhart)
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Despite playing the last nine minutes of the game with only five scholarship players remaining, La Salle pulled out a gritty-as-they-come 78-76 win over Towson to open the season on a winning note.

At First...
La Salle came into the game with just seven healthy bodies to work with, as both redshirt sophomore Tony Washington and freshman wing Karl Harris were unavailable with concussions. The Explorers were able to survive some early foul issues to take a 45-39 lead into the break, as Jordan Price scored 17 points in the opening 20 minutes of play.

Turning Point...
With under a minute to play in a tie ball game, Johnnie Shuler picked off a pass from Towson’s Arnaud William Adala Moto and coasted in for a tough layup through traffic, giving the Explorers a 75-73 lead. Then, after Price corralled a Towson miss on the other end, Shuler knocked down two huge foul shots with 20 seconds left to put the Explorers up four; the next time down the court, Shuler was able to draw a foul going for a rebound and hit one more free throw to put the game away.

Standout Stars...
As he’s done since first donning a La Salle uniform last year, Price continues to get buckets. The redshirt junior guard broke the 25-point barrier for the eighth time as an Explorer, finishing with 27 points, six rebounds and two assists. This came after Price scored 31 points in last season’s matchup with Towson, a 67-53 win for La Salle. Price is a preseason All-A10 First Team selection and showed why with his physical play offensively (Price shot 9-for-11 from the free throw line) and ability to put the ball in the basket.

Though he didn’t put the same scoring numbers as Price, there’s no doubt that Shuler was the late-game hero. The sophomore point guard finished with 15 points, including two three pointers and dished out two assists while pulling down five rebounds. Shuler’s biggest play came in the waning seconds of the game; with the Explorers trailing after a Price miss Shuler picked off a Towson  pass at the other end and went coast-to-coast for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning reverse layup.

Towson redshirt junior Arnaud William Adala Moto lived up to his billing as a player to watch in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Wake Forest transfer, who was named honorable mention all-CAA this preseason despite having yet to play a game in the league, showed why with an impressive 28-point, nine rebound performance. A 6-foot-5 wing forward with a muscular physique, Moto was able to establish himself as a force down low throughout the game.

Noteworthy Numbers...
Towson was dominant on the boards in this one, especially on the offensive glass. The Tigers outrebounded the undersized and undermanned Explorers 45-32 on the game, including a 19-6 edge in offensive rebounds. Both teams shot over 30 percent from behind the arc, with La Salle hitting 9-of-26 and Towson 7-of-19. Towson also took advantage of its offensive rebounds, to the tune of a 20-5 advantage in second chance points on the afternoon.

Up Next...
La Salle (1-0) vs. Rider (0-1) (Nov. 17, Tom Gola Arena)
Towson (0-1) vs. Morgan State (0-0) (Nov. 16, Towson, Md.)

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