GAME NOTES: The final Big 5 game of the season takes place on Tuesday night, as the La Salle Explorers clash with the Saint Joseph's Hawks at Tom Gola Arena.

La Salle is coming off its worst offensive performance of the campaign, losing to Rhode Island last Thursday night by a score of 59-47 on the road. The defeat was the second in the last three outings and dropped the program to 2-4 in Atlantic 10 Conference play.

As for the Hawks, they've had a similar experience in recent days, losing two of the last three on the schedule as they too are 2-4 in A-10 action. Against local foe Penn on Saturday, Saint Joseph's was handed a 56-52 setback at The Palestra, also a Big 5 affair.

The Hawks lead the all-time series by a count of 64-55, after the teams split the seasons series in 2013-14.

DeAndre Bembry again had a great outing over the weekend as he tallied a game- high 25 points, but it wasn't nearly enough as the Hawks were sent to the loss column yet again. Bembry knocked down 10-of-22 shots from the floor, but was just 3-of-9 behind the 3-point line as the lone double-digit performer for the Hawks. Chris Wilson played a key role with a game-high 10 rebounds, but he accounted for just three points on 1-of-6 shooting from the floor.

In a close call, the Hawks hurt themselves with only 2-of-6 shooting from distance, 16-of-28 at the free-throw line, and by turning the ball over 19 times.

In conference play, the Hawks are putting up 65.2 ppg on 42.7 percent shooting from the floor, but again the team is leaving far too many unrealized points at the free-throw line where they are just 64.3 percent accurate. Defensively, the program is making things interesting by allowing 67.5 ppg, but permitting foes to knock down 43.8 percent from long range doesn't help.

Needless to say, Bembry is the driving force on offense with his 20.2 ppg, while Aaron Brown come off the bench to account for another 10.7 ppg. Bembry is also first with 6.5 rpg and a total of 23 assists over the course of six league outings.

The Explorers dug themselves a deep hole the last time out at the Ryan Center as they made a total of just eight field goals in the first half and failed to make a single trip to the free-throw line through the first 20 minutes of action, en route to the 12-point loss to Rhode Island. Jerrell Wright still came up with a game-high 18 points and Khalid Lewis 10 more off the bench, while Steve Zack tacked on nine points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, but the team had trouble getting a good look at the basket as URI's Hassan Martin recorded 10 blocked shots.

In conference play, La Salle is having a very difficult time generating offense, posting just 57.8 ppg on 40.4 percent shooting from the floor and 31.1 percent accuracy behind the 3-point line. Wright is one of three players delivering in double figures with his 10.5 ppg, trailing Cleon Roberts (11.7 ppg) and Jordan Price (11.0 ppg), the latter connecting on a brutal 33.3 percent of his field goal tries and an awful 23.1 percent out on the perimeter.

Generally these Big 5 battles take on a life of their own, regardless of how teams have performed leading up to the battles. Unfortunately for the Explorers, they don't have the scoring punch necessary to combat what Bembry brings to the table each and every night, so expect Saint Joseph's to register a much-needed victory this time around.