NEW YORK (Interstat) — Greg Gordon scored 25 points to lead Long Island to a 70-60 men’s basketball victory over La Salle on Saturday at the Wellness, Recreation & Athletic Center. The Sharks improved to 6-4, while the Explorers fell to 4-7. Long Island never trailed after a 15-0 first-half run fueled by Gordon, who scored 10 points during the surge. La Salle cut a 12-point deficit to four late in the second half but could not complete the comeback. Malachi Davis added 19 points and seven assists for Long Island. Jaeden Marshall led La Salle with 13 points. The Sharks capitalized on 18 La Salle turnovers, converting them into 23 points.

NEW YORK (Interstat) — Greg Gordon scored 25 points and Malachi Davis added 19 points and seven assists to lead Long Island to a 70-60 victory over La Salle in a nonconference men’s basketball game Saturday at the Wellness, Recreation & Athletic Center. The Sharks improved to 6-4, while the Explorers fell to 4-7 before an announced crowd of 613. The most important stretch of the game came early, as Long Island established a commanding lead that La Salle spent the rest of the afternoon unsuccessfully trying to erase. After a slow start for both teams, the Sharks erupted with a 15-0 run midway through the first half, transforming a narrow 8-5 lead into a 23-5 advantage. Gordon, a 6-foot-5 guard from Chicago, was the catalyst, scoring 10 points during the surge, including a dunk off a Jamal Fuller assist and a 3-pointer assisted by Davis. The run showcased Long Island’s defensive intensity, forcing multiple La Salle turnovers and converting them into easy transition opportunities. La Salle, plagued by offensive inefficiency throughout, could never fully recover from that early deficit. The Explorers shot just 41 percent from the field and a dismal 50 percent from the free-throw line. They also committed 18 turnovers, which the Sharks converted into 14 steals and numerous fast-break points. Long Island led 34-26 at halftime and maintained a comfortable margin for most of the second half. Every time La Salle threatened to cut the lead to single digits, the Sharks had an answer, often from Gordon or Davis. La Salle closed to within 45-40 on an Ashton Walker pull-up jumper with 15:28 remaining, but Long Island responded with a 9-2 spurt, capped by a Gordon 3-pointer, to push the lead back to 12. The Sharks’ defensive presence was anchored by 6-foot-9 forward Shadrak Lasu of Winnipeg, Canada, who blocked four shots and altered several others. Long Island finished with seven blocks and held a significant advantage in assists, 14-7, reflecting more fluid offensive execution. For La Salle, Jaeden Marshall led the way with 13 points, while Justin Archer added 11 points and a block. Eric Acker, a New York native, had seven points and five assists but also committed five turnovers. The Explorers won the rebounding battle, particularly on the offensive glass with 15 rebounds, but could not overcome their poor shooting and ball security issues. Gordon’s 25-point performance continued a strong stretch for the junior, following a 27-point effort in a close loss to Winthrop and 14 points in a win at Lehigh. Davis, from Toronto, complemented him by orchestrating the offense and hitting key shots, including three 3-pointers. Long Island finished the game shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from 3-point range. The Sharks also made 16 of 24 free throws. La Salle managed only 5-of-14 shooting from beyond the arc. National Statistical’s ELO system had given Long Island a 56.7 percent probability to win. The total score of 130 points fell well under the over/under line of 140.5. Long Island next travels to face Mississippi State on Tuesday. La Salle continues a tough road stretch with games at High Point on Friday and at Michigan next Sunday.

Preview: La Salle Explorers at Long Island Sharks NEW YORK (Interstat) — Two teams looking to build momentum before conference play begins will meet Saturday when the La Salle Explorers visit the Long Island Sharks at the Wellness, Recreation & Athletic Center. La Salle (4-6) snapped a five-game losing streak with a 69-64 home win over Drexel last Saturday. The Explorers will aim for their first road victory of the season behind the recent surge of guard Josiah Harris. Over his last two games, Harris is averaging 18.5 points, including a 21-point performance in 27 minutes against Drexel. Long Island (5-4) is coming off an impressive 87-82 road win at Lehigh, powered by a career-high 30 points and seven assists from dynamic guard Malachi Davis. Davis has been a consistent offensive force, averaging 21.2 points over his last five contests. The Sharks’ offense, however, has shown volatility, following a 94-92 overtime home loss to Winthrop with their high-scoring effort at Lehigh. The matchup pits La Salle’s search for consistent scoring outside of Harris against a Long Island team that can erupt offensively but has also suffered lopsided defeats at Illinois and Fordham. The Sharks are 3-1 at home this season. For La Salle, Jaeden Marshall (15 points vs. Drexel) and Truth Harris (six assists vs. Drexel) will need to provide supplemental support. Long Island counters with additional weapons like Jamal Fuller, who scored 20 points in the Lehigh win. This non-conference game represents a final tune-up for both squads before difficult upcoming stretches. La Salle visits Michigan on Dec. 21 before opening Atlantic 10 play. Long Island embarks on a three-game road trip starting Tuesday at Mississippi State. Saturday’s contest is scheduled for a 2 p.m. EST tip-off.