PHILADELPHIA — This time UMass’ problems came after intermission.

La Salle scored 54 second-half points and the Minutemen couldn’t keep up as the Explorers pulled away for an 88-78 Atlantic 10 men’s basketball win.

After spending the last four games, trying to dig themselves out of first-half holes, the Minutemen appeared to be in good shape with a 39-34 halftime lead. But they couldn’t sustain it.

Rashaan Holloway said the players need to make a better commitment defensively.

“We have to look at defense the way some guys look at offense,” he said. “We got beat on one-on-one defense. If we can’t play one-on-one, we have a lot of problems. That’s what got away from us in the second half.”

Technical fouls on two occasions seemed to change the game. Holloway and La Salle’s B.J. Johnson earned matching technicals for trash-talking after Holloway blocked Johnson’s shot with 2 minutes, 10 into the second half.

The exchange seemed to light a fire under both players. But Johnson’s burned brighter. The Syracuse transfer, who had 7 points in the first in the first half, exploded to finish with 28 points and 11 rebounds in the game as La Salle took control. In a stretch over seven minutes long he had the Explorers only field goals.

Holloway (seven rebounds) did his part to keep UMass afloat with 14 of his 19 points in the second half. He had all of the Minuteman points in a 7-2 run that cut an eight-point deficit to three at 67-64 with 7:45 left.

“He’s extremely skilled. When he gets it down low it’s a problem. Other teams have struggled with him too,” La Salle coach John Gianinni said.

But after Seth Berger was called for a foul with 7:08 left, Donte Clark (12 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) said something to referee Paul Faia and was hit with a technical.

Johnson made all four free throws to start an 11-4 run that put La Salle in control for good.

“We got rushed after Donte’s technical. I thought we were playing at a good pace,” UMass coach Derek Kellogg said. “That was kind of the turning point in the game. Whether he said much or nothing, you can’t do it in that situation. Don’t say a word to the refs. He gets emotional and he’s a little frustrated, but you can’t do it.”

UMass (12-11, 2-8 Atlantic 10) heads into its bye weekend on a four-game losing streak. The Minutemen are off until Tuesday when they host Rhode Island at 7 pm.

“We have a lot of work to do. We have a lot of team building. We have to come together,” Holloway said. “We’re going through a rough patch right now. It’s easy to fall apart. We have to come together and fight it. We know how good we can be. We just don’t play that way all the time.”