La Salle downs Charlotte

Ramon Galloway didn't look comfortable from his front row perch, but the spot wasn't completely foreign.

Hindered by foul trouble, the La Salle guard sat on the bench for five minutes early in the second half. It was the same padded seat he was in for the final three minutes of the first half.

When Galloway returned, with him came a sense of energy that the Explorers used to turn back Charlotte, 85-72, on Wednesday night at Tom Gola Arena.

"He's walking energy," said Explorers coach John Giannini. "He's like a human photon. I mean he's just light. He's energy. He's unbelievable. He makes a huge difference. . . . I don't even know if I'm scientifically correct, but he's that extreme with his energy. He makes us a lot better."

With Galloway on the court and teamed with sophomore guard Tyreek Duren, the Explorers are a dangerous squad.

"Without Ramon, I think we're real different, especially on defense," said Duren. "We lose a lot of intensity, and with him being out we have to adjust. Once we adjusted, we can be good."

With the win, the Explorers remained undefeated at home (12-0) and eclipsed the arena mark set in 2009. The Explorers (17-6, 6-2) also stayed atop the Atlantic Ten Conference.

Galloway picked up three quick assists after returning midway through the second half and helped the Explorers create a bit of separation. With the ball on the perimeter, he passed up on a shot and instead worked the ball around. The junior finished with a six assists, five rebounds, and nine points.

He returned to the bench with four fouls, but La Salle didn't fade behind the play of Duren.

Duren poured in 12 of his game-high 21 points in the second half as the Explorers were finally able to pull away from the visitors. The teams traded six lead changes in the first half, and La Salle clung to the lead throughout the second half.

The tandem of Duren and Galloway created open space for freshman guard Jerrell Wright, who added a pair of key and-ones in the middle of the second half. Wright finished with 18 points.

"It opened up a lot," said Wright. "He's one of the best guards in the A-10, so they have to respect his jump shot and him driving to the basket, which opens to dunks and layups for me."