La Salle wins 13th straight at home

Home court has never been an advantage for La Salle as it has this season.

The Explorers recorded their 13th straight victory, dating back to last season, at Tom Gola Arena with a 78-63 triumph against George Washington on Wednesday night.

The Atlantic Ten Conference win also enabled La Salle (15-6, 4-2 A-10) to tie the record for the most single-season wins (11) at the arena, which was set during the 2008-09 season. The Explorers have their longest winning streak at home since winning a school record 19 straight from Feb. 28, 1968, to Jan. 2, 1970.

La Salle also snapped its three-game skid to George Washington (8-12, 3-3). And the Explorers did it emphatically.

La Salle shot 72.4 percent in the first half and 57.7 percent for the game. The Explorers led for the final 32 minutes, 53 seconds. And they had a 20-point cushion with 13:09 remaining.

Ramon Galloway had a lot to do with the outcome.

The junior guard, who transferred from South Carolina, made 6 of 7 three-pointers to finish with a career-high 28 points. He also had six rebound and four assists and a steal. Twenty-one of Galloway's points came before intermission.

Galloway's previous high of 26-points came against Army on Dec. 10, 2011. On Wednesday, his 26th point came on a three-pointer with 15 minutes, 9 seconds remaining. He was successful on the only shot attempt he had afterward.

Reserve center Steve Zack also had a career-high point total. The 6-foot-11 freshman finished with nine points. His previous career high was four points.

Senior guard Earl Pettis finished with 15 points, while freshman center Jerrell Wright had 12.

It didn't take long to realize La Salle would be tough to defeat.

The Explorers made just about everything they threw up in the first half. That was unfortunate for the Colonials, who shot 57.7 percent from the field and 66.7 percent on three-pointers in the first half. Yet despite their sharp-shooting, they trailed La Salle by 13 at the break.

A Galloway dunk gave La Salle a 59-42 cushion with 16:28 remaining. Then Sam Mills' three-pointer with 13:09 extended the Explorers' lead to 20 points.

Note: La Salle backup forward Devon White missed his second consecutive game after suffering a head injury against Temple on Jan. 18. There is no timetable for his return. The 6-8, 240-pounder averages seven points and 4.7 rebounds.