It wasn’t quite David vs. Goliath, but Wichita State’s size was too much for La Salle to overcome, as their tournament run ended with a 72-56 defeat in the sweet sixteen. As anticipated, the Shockers absolutely dominated the game in the paint and on the boards, out-rebounding the Explorers by a 44-23 margin, including 15-5 on offensive rebounds. Wichita State did their damage their early, starting the game on a 14-2 run, with all those points in the paint. La Salle had no answer for Carl Hall, who went 5-5 from the field for 10 points during that stretch.
The rest of the first half was not much better for the Explorers as the hot shooting that carried them through their first three victories fizzled out, shooting just 8-30 in the first twenty minutes. Ramon Galloway, who had put up some lofty first-half point totals in prior contests, missed his first six shots before finally connecting on a long three-pointer with 6 minutes left in the half.
In the second frame, it wasn’t enough to dominate the paint, as the Shockers took a page out of La Salle’s playbook and started hitting from behind the arc. Two threes to open the second half propelled Wichita State to its largest lead of the game at 22. La Salle tried to pull a reverse of the Kansas State contest and pull a memorable comeback themselves, going on a 10-0 run to back the score 44-32. Unfortunately, that effort was the last gasp for the Explorers as Malcolm Armstead took over, scoring 9 points from that point on to help keep the team from Philadelphia at bay. The early hole just proved too much to overcome for La Salle.
Jerrell Wright fought through some early foul trouble to play an excellent game, finishing with 16 points on 6-9 shooting, and 5 rebounds. Tyrone Garland and Ramon Galloway also each finished in double figures, but the pair combined to shoot just 9-30 from the floor on the game. For Wichita State, Malcolm Armstead was the man of the hour with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Carl Hall slowed down a bit after his incredible start to the game, ending with 16 points and 8 rebounds.
Despite the loss, La Salle should be extremely proud of their efforts the last couple weeks. The team brought the program great acclaim, reaching levels of success not seen in over 50 years. After transferring from South Carolina, leading scorer Ramon Galloway will end his fine career in the Explorers’ blue and gold having left his mark on the program. However, all other members of the rotation are returning for next season and expectations will be high for another successful campaign.
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