Feb. 24, 2008

Box Score

PITTSBURGH (AP) -Darnell Harris scored 18 points, including two late free throws, as La Salle held on for a 75-72 win over Duquesne on Sunday.

Ruben Guillandeaux added 17 and Yves Mekongo Mbala grabbed 10 rebounds for the Explorers, who avenged a 101-84 loss to the Dukes on Feb. 9. Since then, La Salle (13-13, 7-5) has won four straight.

The Explorers closed the first half on a 10-3 run to take a 41-34 lead at the break. They extended the lead to 47-34 with 17:52 remaining in the second half.

But Duquesne used a 10-0 run to tie the score at 52-52 on two free throws by Kojo Mensah with 12:11 to go. La Salle then regained control as Harris scored eight consecutive points and the Explorers built a 62-55 advantage.

Duquesne came back again and made it 73-72 on three free throws by Gary Tucker, who was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 27 seconds to go.

But Harris hit the two free throws with 16 seconds left and Bill Clark's potential game-tying 3-pointer hit off the rim at the buzzer.

Tucker scored a career-high 23 points and Aaron Jackson had 11 to lead Duquesne (16-10, 6-7), which has lost three in a row.

The win gave the Explorers their fourth consecutive win - their longest winning streak since they won seven straight during the 2005-06 season.  

The victory also set another La Salle mark for Atlantic 10 road wins - the third time in four seasons under Dr. John Giannini's direction.  They are now an amazng 5-1 on the road in the A-10.

Harris continued his pursuit of the A-10 career three-point field goal record with three more triples to bring him nine makes shy of Massachusetts' Monty Mack.