Anthony Finkley absolutely showed out Saturday, dropping 19 points to lead La Salle to a hard-fought 88-80 victory against LIU. The Explorers, now sitting at 1-1, had to dig deep, turning a two-point second-half deficit into a commanding lead with a game-changing scoring burst.
Finkley Paces the Explorers While Dockery and Booker Bring the Heat
Finkley was on fire from the jump, leading the team with 13 points in the first half as La Salle headed into the break with a slim 39-37 lead. But he wasn’t alone in lighting up the scoreboard. Rob Dockery was a force, pouring in 18 points on 6-for-14 shooting, including a three-pointer, and hitting 5 of 6 from the free-throw line. Dockery also stacked up an impressive six rebounds and seven assists. Devin Booker was incredibly efficient, chipping in 13 points by hitting 4 of 7 from the field and an incredible 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. And get this: every single one of Booker’s 13 points came in the second half, proving he was clutch when it mattered most.
The Second-Half Explosion That Decided It All
This game was tight, but La Salle wasn’t going to be denied. After trailing by two points in the second half, the Explorers flipped the script with an unbelievable 10-0 run that completely changed the momentum. This surge put them up 65-57 with just 9:23 left in the half, and they never looked back. That kind of resilience, especially when the game is on the line, shows what this team is made of. Finkley also added three steals to his stat line, proving he was making an impact on both ends of the court.
LIU, now 0-3, put up a fight. Daquan Davis led the Sharks with 15 points and two steals, while Joshua Skinner added 12 points and six rebounds. Ryan Bewley also contributed with 11 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks, but it just wasn’t enough to stop La Salle’s second-half surge.
La Salle’s schedule doesn’t get any easier, with a tough road matchup against Villanova coming up on Tuesday. LIU will try to bounce back when they visit Towson on Monday.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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