Staff and wire report
CHARLOTTE ó Remember that knee injury K.J. Sherrill suffered during a preseason fanfest while dunking?
La Salle will tell you heís over it.
The former West Rowan star had career highs Saturday against the Explorers with 24 points and 13 rebounds but it wasnít enough as the reeling Charlotte 49ers fell in two overtimes to La Salle in Halton Arena. 91-86.
“They made plays down the stretch when they needed to,” Charlotte coach Alan Major said.
La Salle rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit to force overtime.
Sherrill did all he could, swishing 14 of 18 free throws and playing a career high 38 minutes.
But Cole Stefan hit two of his three 3-pointers at key points in the two overtimes and Tyreek Duren scored six of his 12 points in the final overtime to give the Explorers (11-11, 3-4 A-10 Conference) their third straight win.
ěThat was as dramatic a game as Iíve been involved with in an awful lot of years,î Giannini said. ěIt was a thrilling game to win and a brutal game to lose, because both teams played their hearts out. We couldnít be more happy with the result … or the number of kids that contributed.î
Jerrell Williams and Earl Pettis had 17 points each and Aaric Murray added 16 points for La Salle, which is 2-2 in overtime games this season.
The 49ers (9-12, 1-6) lost their third straight game and dropped to 1-3 in overtime, all going 2 OT or more.
Yet thinking about overtime didnít appear to be in the cards for the Explorers, who trailed 35-28 at the half and were down 67-61 with 1:08 remaining in regulation.
Then the role players stepped up.
Ruben Guillandeaux scored eight of his 12 points in the final 68 seconds, including a runner in the lane with 21 seconds left that tied the score at 71-71 and forced the extra period.
The 49ers had a chance to win it in the first OT, scoring seven unanswered points to pull ahead 78-75 with 11.4 seconds left. But Stefan nailed a 3-pointer with 7.8 seconds remaining to tie the game.

NOTES: Sherrillís prep career high came in his junior season when he scored 34 in a playoff win over T.C. Roberson. … He had two 33-point efforts for Mike Gurley as a Falcon senior.