La Salle Stifles Drexel 69-64 to Open 2025 Big 5 Classic

PHILADELPHIA— The La Salle Explorers claimed a 69-64 win over the Drexel Dragons in the fifth place game of the 2025 Big 5 Classic, surviving a second half push at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday, Dec. 6. The Explorers held Drexel to a 34.3 shooting percentage, including a 6-of-26 clip from three, more than enough to survive their own scoring woes.

La Salle forward Josiah Harris took over early, putting the Explorers ahead with an 8-2 run and scoring 12 of their first 14 points. Harris made 10-of-14 shots on the day, setting a career high in scoring with a 21 point, 13 rebound double-double. Martin de Laporterie and Shane Blakeney ran Drexel’s offense during that same span, each scoring six points to keep the deficit at 14-12, but they combined for just seven points the rest of the way.

Dillon Tingler brought the Dragons even at 10:11 with a second-chance jumper, the last basket Drexel managed in the first half. La Salle limited them to an 0-for-16 clip from the field after that, and the Dragons managed to convert just one of four free throw attempts, allowing the Explorers to close the half on a 20-1 run.

The Dragons began to chip away midway through the second half, a Tingler three sparking an 13-0 run that lasted more than five minutes and closed the gap to 53-50. Having burned three of his four timeouts early, including two in the first half, La Salle head coach Darris Nichols didn’t have much of an opportunity to slow the Dragons’ roll.

The Explorers woke up out of the U8 media timeout, gaining breathing room with a 6-0 run… just enough to survive another late scoring swoon.