PHILADELPHIA - The combination of foul trouble, dwindling depth and La Salle's success against the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team's press and man-to-man defenses led Minuteman coach Derek Kellogg to switch to a rarely-used zone that helped bring them back into Sunday's game.

Kellogg begrudgingly is beginning to come to terms with a zone defense becoming part of his team's future.

"Unfortunately we're going to have to play zone more often. I'm not sure we're going to be able to press for the full 40 minutes in conference play," Kellogg said. "I didn't think the energy was as good as it needs to be.

"... We could be a good zone team," he added. "I had a lot of success as a player and as a coach playing man-to-man. Zone is something I'm becoming a little more fond of because of personnel issues."

La Salle coach John Giannini said after his team's 82-75 win that he was impressed with the UMass zone.

"Their zone was outstanding," he said. "Besides (Chaz) Williams, their size is outstanding. They have so much length and quickness within that zone. Trying to score against that thing was a different story."

GOLA WOES - With a 12-4 record, 10 wins in its last 11 games and an upset of Xavier under its belt, this Explorers team looks like the best one in years for Giannini.

But La Salle always looks like an NCAA Tournament contender against the Minutemen at Tom Gola Arena.

The Explorers have won six of the last seven games in the rivalry at any location, and four straight in Philadelphia by an average of 12 points.

"We tried to do different things. We traveled a little different," Kellogg said. "My wife actually traveled with us to try to mix up the karma. But that might be her last bus trip."

Last year's 72-51 loss to La Salle started the season-ending four-game losing streak for UMass.

MATT HILL - Senior big man Matt Hill, who has been out with a sprained knee, was medically cleared to play for the Minutemen, but did not see action.

NEXT UP - UMass will put its perfect home record on the line at 7 p.m. Wednesday when it hosts Charlotte at the Mullins Center. The 49ers (9-5) have won two games to open Atlantic 10 play, defeating Richmond at home Wednesday and Saint Joseph's in Philadelphia on Saturday.

MISCELLANEOUS - The Minutemen players attended Saturday's Philadelphia 76ers game against the Toronto Raptors with former UMass star Gary Forbes.

Jesse Morgan replaced Chaz Williams as the UMass shooter on technical foul free throws.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com.