La Salle's Cinderella Story Continues

    The clock has still not struck midnight on La Salle's Cinderella season.  The Explorers, making their first NCAA Tournament since 1992, have now won their third game of this years Big Dance to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1955.  The Explorers pulled through in the waning seconds, to defeat Ole Miss by a score of  76-74.

    The Explorers and Rebels battled back and forth throughout the first half, but the Explorers entered the locker room at halftime with a narrow 40-38 lead.  Ramon Galloway dominated in the first half, allowing the Explorers to gain that lead, but the Rebels refused to give in.
    Ole Miss emerged from the locker room for the second half and outplayed La Salle early.  The Rebels had a lead late, when Tyreek Duren tied the game with two free throws with just over a minute remaining.
    With a scramble for the ball on the Explorers defensive end that resulted in Ole Miss retaining the ball, although it appeared they touched it last, the Rebels would get a second chance to regain the lead with under a minute remaining.  The Explorers got a huge stop on what appeared to be a missed foul call as Marshall Henderson went for the ball.  The Explorers held for the last shot, and with three seconds remaining got a go-ahead layup from Tyrone Garland.  After the Rebels missed their hail-Mary shot, the Explorers came away with a hard-fought victory and a ticket to the Sweet Sixteen.
    Ramon Galloway led the Explorers with 24 points in the game.  Galloway was on fire early, allowing the Explorers to take a lead into the locker room at the half.  Galloway continued to look good in the second half, although he cooled down late in the game.
    As Galloway cooled off, two other Explorers guards began to heat up, and pick up the slack.  Tyreek Duren and Tyrone Garland supplied the offense for La Salle late in the game, helping lead the Explorers to victory.  Duren scored 19 points on the game, while Garland added 17 points for the Explorers.
    So with a late layup, the La Salle basketball season was kept alive.  The Explorers now advance to their first Sweet Sixteen in fifty-eight years, where they will face ninth-seeded Wichita State on Thursday.  Will La Salle's magical season continue, or will the clock strike midnight on Thursday for the Explorers?  Only time will tell, but the Explorers are in a great position to make it to the Elite 8.