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March 7, 2009 | AP Press

ST. LOUIS — Rodney Green scored 24 points and LaSalle overcame an early 14-point deficit to defeat Saint Louis 68-62 in an Atlantic 10 Conference game on Saturday night.

The Explorers (18-12, 9-7 A-10) ended the regular season with their fourth straight victory. They did so after falling behind 22-8 with 10:58 to play in the first half. Darryl Partin and Vernon Goodridge each tallied 13 points in the victory.

The Billikens (17-13, 8-8 A-10), who dropped their third straight, got a career-high 26 points from freshman Kwamain Mitchell. Willie Reed scored 13 points and Kevin Lisch added 10.

The Billikens opened up a 42-33 lead after Mitchell knocked down a 3-pointer with 15:19 to play in the game. But the Explorers used a 17-3 run over the next eight minutes to gain a lead they would never relinquish.

The Explorers shot 58 percent from the field in the second half (14-for-24) and outscored the Billikens 40-28 after trailing 34-28 at the half.