Elizabeth McLaughlin, Editor

On Feb. 26, senior day, La Salle men’s basketball narrowly defeated the Dayton Flyers. Kyle Thompson, Andrew Lafond, Clifton Moore and Jack Clark were recognized before the game as the team’s four seniors. For the first two seniors, it was their first start of their Explorer career. The win over Dayton marks the end of a five-game losing streak. The Explorers now stand at 8-18 on the year, increasing to 3-13 in the Atlantic 10. Dayton, on the other hand, falls to 20-29 and 12-4 in conference play.

Moore started the game by scoring six points in the opening minutes. The Dayton Flyers employed full-court pressure on the Explorers, prompting them to get a 24-14 lead. Clark stepped in and cut the point deficit to seven by hitting a three pointer from right outside the 3-point line. Moore also helped spark a 7-0 spurt to cut the deficit to eight by the second half’s first timeout.

Both teams traded seven straight possessions and each move from the Flyers saw an effective counter move from the Explorers. Khalil Brantley helped the Explorers gain a healthy 61-55 advantage with 2:28 remaining in the game. Then, Dayton’s Koby Brea hit a three pointer and slashed La Salle’s lead to two. Then, the Explorer’s defense held out for over two minutes and their offense prompted the Flyers to force a shot clock violation on the final Explorer possession.

By the last 12 seconds, the Explorers were leading by 61-60 and called on their defense. Moore managed to block Brea’s three pointer, securing a win for the Explorers. A double-technical was assessed by both teams as well as a personal foul from Dayton; Moore went to the line for a one-and-one with 0.1 seconds remaining. The Flyers were unable to muster a win over the Explorers, ending the game at 62-60.

If the team can continue playing like they did against Dayton, many good games will follow suit.