Pettis, Galloway lead La Salle past Duquesne, 71-68

PITTSBURGH - In a game that featured jarring momentum swings, Ramon Galloway took it back for La Salle when it mattered most.

But only because Tyreek Duren didn't allow Duquesne to seize it again one more time.

Galloway's three-point play with 1 minute, 23 second left broke a tie and stopped a 7-0 Dukes run, and Duren came out of seemingly nowhere to block a three-pointer that would have tied it at the buzzer, allowing the Explorers to escape Duquesne with a 71-68 victory Saturday.

Earl Pettis led La Salle (16-6, 5-2 A-10) with 20 points and Galloway had 15 as the Explorers rallied from down nine in the second half and held on to maintain a share of first place in the Atlantic 10.

"Runs happen a lot when you're playing Duquesne because they can create turnovers and score quickly," La Salle coach John Giannini said. "I'm just glad the game didn't have another few minutes in it."

Over the final 25 minutes of the game, Duquesne (12-9, 3-4) had runs of 13-2 and 8-0, followed by separate Explorers stretches of six and 11 consecutive points and then five Dukes points in a row.

Duquesne led, 59-57, with 4:47 left when Galloway hit a three-pointer from the right elbow, igniting a 9-0 run.

Though the Explorers did not trail again, Duquesne scored the next seven points to tie it. Galloway answered by driving the lane for a three-point play to put the Explorers up 69-66 with 1:03 left.

"He double-clutched it, brought it around the world and made the basket with contact," Dukes coach Ron Everhart said. "A great play."

La Salle was up three with seven seconds left when Duquesne's T.J. McConnell found what appeared to be a wide open Jerry Jones for a three-pointer on the left side. But Duren burst over to block the shot.

In winning on the road for the first time in conference play, La Salle surpassed its victory total from last season. The Explorers reached 16 wins for only the third time in the past 20 years.

"We've been taking care of home, but doing that is pointless if you're not winning on the road," Duren said.

With losses by St. Louis and Dayton, the Explorers are tied for first in the Atlantic 10 with Massachusetts and St. Bonaventure.

Note. Senior forward Devon White returned after missing the previous two games due to a head injury. He had four points in nine minutes.