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A quick look around Atlantic 10 men's basketball for Friday, Dec. 21.

ON TAP FOR FRIDAY(12/21)

FORDHAM Rams (2-8)
at CONNECTICUT Huskies (8-2)
7:00 pm | XL Center | UConn Sports Network
Series: UConn leads 11-10
A-10 vs. Big East: 5-9
Gamenote: The series, which began in 1954, is nearly even -- UConn holds a one-game edge. This will mark the second game in the return of Preseason All-Conference forward Chris Gaston.

LONGWOOD Lancers (8-3)
at VCU Rams (3-9)
7:30 pm | Seigel Center | CBS 6.3
Series:  VCU leads 3-0
A-10 vs. Big South: 4-0
Gamenote:  In Shaka Smart's three-plus seasons, VCU is 19-4 in December, including entering today with a victory in 14 straight December games and a perfect 14-0 in December home games.

ON THE TUBE

Friday, December 21
Fordham at Connecticut | 7:00 pm | UConn Sports Network
Longwood at VCU | 7:30 pm | CBS 6.3

Saturday, December 22
Murray State at Dayton | Noon | CBS Sports Network
Temple vs. Syracuse (Madison Square Garden) | Noon | ESPN2
Evansville at Butler | 2:00 pm | MyIndy-TV23
Florida State at Charlotte (TW Cable Arena) | 2:00 pm | CBS Sports Network
Georgia State at Rhode Island | 2:00 pm | Ocean State Networks
Wofford at Xavier | 2:00 pm | FOX Sports Ohio
St. Bonaventure at NC State | 3:00 pm | ESPN3
George Mason at Richmond | 3:00 pm | NBC Sports Network
Loyola Marymount at Saint Louis | 3:30 pm | FOX Midwest

A-10 SCOOP

>>VCU's three losses came against the #2 (Duke), #12 (Missouri) and #23 (Wichita State). Those three teams are a combined 30-2 this year. The three losses came by a total of 14 points.

>>VCU's Briante Weber made sure the Rams' first game as a member of the Atlantic 10 was memorable. The sophomore recorded 10 steals in the Rams' win over Florida Gulf Coast, the second highest single-game total in A-10 history. He also had 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting.

>>Fordham finally got the services of senior forward and double-double machine Chris Gaston back last Saturday. Gaston spent the first month and a half injured, but returned to help Fordham beat Princeton. A preseason All-Conference selection, Gaston averaged 17.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game last season.

>>Come March, the Atlantic 10 moves its Championship to the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Saint Joseph's got a preview of the arena when it played in the Coaches vs. Cancer event in the building. Fordham also got its Barclays preview last weekend, with a thrilling win over Princeton.

THURSDAY'S (12/20) RESULT

LA SALLE 88, IONA 74 | HIGHLIGHTS & POSTGAME VIDEO

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Tyrone Garland, making his second appearance for La Salle, scored a career-high 26 points off the bench as the Explorers topped Iona 88-74 Thursday night.

Garland, a transfer from Virginia Tech who was ineligible until last week, hit 10 of 22 from the field in 23 minutes. The junior scored nine points in his debut against Bucknell on Dec. 15.

Ramon Galloway had 21 points and tied a career high with 10 assists. The senior hit 3 of 4 from 3-point range, and is averaging 22 points per game over his past three contests with a 52.6 percent (10 of 19) clip from 3-point range.

Jerrell Wright and Tyreek Duren added 13 points and Steve Zack had 10 rebounds for La Salle (7-2).

Iona (5-5) was led by David Laury's 21 points and 14 rebounds off the bench. Laury, a transfer from Lamar State, was making his Gaels' debut.