PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — Jaeden Marshall scored 25 points and La Salle withstood a furious second-half rally to stun Dayton 67-64 in an Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball game Wednesday night at Tom Gola Arena.

The Explorers, who entered the game with a 6-13 record and were heavy underdogs, built a commanding 40-29 halftime lead and then held off the Flyers over a tense final minute to secure their second conference victory of the season. Dayton, which came in with a 14-3 mark and had won five of its last six, fell to 14-4.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the final 30 seconds. With La Salle clinging to a 65-64 lead after Dayton’s Keonte Jones converted two free throws, the Explorers’ Jerome Brewer was fouled with 21 seconds remaining. Brewer calmly sank both free throws to extend the lead to three.

Dayton had two chances to tie in the final 12 seconds. After a timeout, the Flyers’ Javon Bennett missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with eight seconds left. La Salle’s Brewer secured the defensive rebound and was immediately fouled. He missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving Dayton one final possession with three seconds on the clock. The Flyers could not get a shot off before the buzzer, sealing the upset for the home team before a crowd of 1,330.

Marshall, a guard from Hinesville, Georgia, was the catalyst for La Salle throughout, playing 34 minutes and shooting efficiently from the field and the line. His backcourt mate, Jaden Johnson of Baltimore, added six assists and five points, orchestrating an Explorer offense that carved up Dayton’s defense in the first half.

La Salle raced out to an early double-digit lead behind the interior play of Josiah Harris, who scored all 10 of his points before halftime. The Explorers led by as many as 13 in the period, capitalizing on 10 Dayton turnovers and converting them into easy transition opportunities. Dayton, meanwhile, struggled to find any offensive rhythm, shooting poorly from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.

The second half saw a dramatic shift. The Flyers emerged from the locker room with renewed defensive intensity, immediately going on a 13-3 run to cut the deficit to a single point. Dayton’s pressure began to force La Salle into mistakes, and the Explorers’ offensive flow from the first half vanished.

Jones, a sophomore from Madison, Wisconsin, led the Dayton charge, scoring 12 of his team-high 14 points after halftime. His driving layup with 3:53 remaining finally drew the Flyers even at 62-62, completing the comeback from the 11-point halftime hole.

The teams traded baskets, with Marshall giving La Salle a 65-64 lead on a free throw with 32 seconds left, setting the stage for the frantic finish. Dayton had several opportunities to take the lead in the final four minutes but committed two costly turnovers and missed a critical front end of a one-and-one free throw.

Bennett finished with 11 points and five assists for Dayton, while Bryce Heard and Jaiun Simon each added 10 points. Simon also contributed three assists and two blocks. For La Salle, Rob Dockery chipped in seven points, two assists, and two steals, providing key defensive energy.

The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for Dayton in conference play and marked a significant setback for a team with aspirations for an NCAA Tournament bid. The Flyers will look to rebound quickly when they travel to face Saint Joseph’s on Saturday.

For La Salle, the victory represents a high point in a difficult season, offering proof of the team’s potential against one of the league’s top contenders. The Explorers will aim to build on this momentum when they visit Fordham next Wednesday.

According to pregame analytics, Dayton had an 89.5% probability to win and was favored by 10.5 points. The combined score of 131 points fell under the betting over/under line of 137.5.