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Explorers top Bucknell for third straight win

With La Salle trailing Bucknell, 44-42, at halftime at Tom Gola Arena, university representatives awarded an honorary plaque to members of the family of the late Michael Brooks.

With La Salle trailing Bucknell, 44-42, at halftime at Tom Gola Arena, university representatives awarded an honorary plaque to members of the family of the late Michael Brooks.

The former Explorers standout died from a massive stroke at a hospital near his home in Switzerland on Aug. 22. He scored 2,628 points at La Salle from 1976 to 1980.

The Explorers (4-2) missed the halftime ceremony, but when they took the court for the second half, they played with purpose and won their third straight, 83-73.

"I thought the second half was the best we played this year," La Salle coach John Giannini said. "[Bucknell] made zero threes in the second half. I just think our players did what they exactly had to do to win the game."

Senior guard Jordan Price drove to the basket 20 seconds into the second half to tie the game at 44. Price led an 18-4 run for La Salle with seven points of his own during the stretch, as the Explorers took a 60-48 lead with 13 minutes remaining in the game.

After making 46.4 percent of its baskets in the opening half, La Salle shot 55.2 percent in the second.

Price finished with 20 points and two assists.

"We have a great coaching staff and they always prepare us very well, so we basically knew all their plays and where they were passing," Price said of Bucknell (6-3). "In the second half, that is just what you saw."

A forward like Brooks, B.J. Johnson scored 14 of his team-high 22 points in the second half. The Syracuse transfer led the team with nine rebounds.

Johnson averaged 18 points per game entering the day, the second highest on the team behind Jordan's 18.2. After being ineligible last year, Johnson is happy to make a difference this season.

"I love playing with these guys. Whenever we are playing well and not being selfish, we are a good team," Johnson said. "I had a couple bad turnovers early, but when I am not turning the ball over and we are not being selfish as a whole, I am able to take more shots, and so is the team."

After La Salle lost close games to Temple and Texas Southern, Giannini stressed to his team the need to limit mistakes. In the Explorers' 89-81 win against Lehigh on Nov. 30, they committed a season- low nine turnovers.

La Salle held the Bisons to 23 shots in the second half, compared with 29 in the first. Bucknell had fewer chances to score after La Salle committed only five turnovers in the final half, finishing with 15 total.

"It is a simple game: Don't lose the ball, play good defense, and you have a good chance of winning," Giannini said.