Winners
Who Never Quit: Analyzing the 2005-06 Season
A
Winning Season Gives Hope to Bright Future.
4/23/2006
by Hoops Tick
The
season for the Explorers ended pre-maturely in-part by
the loss to Fordham in the A10 Tournament and in-part due
to a poor decision by the NIT selection committee to include
Penn State and exclude La Salle.
The season started out with many positives. The Explorers
beat Drexel in hard fought contest on December 3rd to improve
to 4-0. Steven Smith had 26 points and 15 rebounds to lead
the Explorers. On December 18, the Classic 4 Overtime Game
against Central Connecticutt State took place. The game
is important because it was officiated down to the final
second (something most games are not these days). Darnell
Harris clinched the game with 2 free throws and no time
remaining, an improbable 107-106 win. The Explorers endured
a lop-sided 98-57 loss to rested Villanova - La Salle
had
played 5
overtimes in the previous 3 days. The Explorers at 8-1,
were doing very well and Paul Johnson was progressing.
Grade for the team for first third of season: A (Outstanding)
The Explorers
ran into a "gotcha game" against Hoftstra, on December
30, as the officiating was poor and some of the coaching
decisions late in the second half cost La Salle a 71-70
decision. The new year started out with 2 Atlantic 10
Conference wins over Duquesne and Richmond. Paul Johnson
and Marshall Taylor picked up back-to-back Rookie of
the Week honors. Trouble started in the Charlotte game
on January 11 as Steven Smith twisted his ankle and the
Explorers lost 64-52. In a bizarre 4pm start against
Rhode Island the officials had thought it was a 7pm start
and were not in the arena. Rhode Island protested and
threatened to remove their entire team from Gola. Then,
when the refs finally arrived and the game started, the
officials took out their frustrations on La Salle in
handing the Rhodeys a 71-68 win. On January 21 the Explorers
lost a game they should have won easily. La Salle held
a 27-16 halftime lead. Then, in the second half, the
Explorers collapsed under the pressure of the Hawks to drop the game 66-54.
The Penn Quakers were the opponent on January 25 and
Quaker coach Fran Dunphy was looking for win #300. Little
did anyone know that Dunphy
would be handed his 300th win (73-65) by a corrupt officiating crew. I was
told that AD Brennan took my advice and sent the video for the A10 and Ivy
Leagues
to review. La Salle was assured that these refs would not officiate again
at the division one level.The Explorers record of 3-6 in this stretch pushed
them to 11-7 overall and a not-so-great 3-4 in the A10.
Some La Salle alums were giving up on the team and making
ridiculous statements. Grade
for team for second third of season: D (Below Average)
Then the Explorers used their controlled anger and frustration to pound the
opponents both at home and on the road. The Explorers won their first Big
5 game for the senior class by beating Temple on February 4 by 62-56. The
Explorers then registered road wins against UMass and Xavier and clinched
the winning season. The Explorers only unexpected blemish in the final third
of the regular season came against Fordham in a 83-74 loss on March 1. With
the win against Saint Louis on March 4, La Salle clinched third place in
the Atlantic 10! La Salle finished the final third of the regular season
at 7-2 and 18-9 overall with an above average 10-6 record in the A10. Grade
for team for final third of season: A (Outstanding)
The A10 Tournament: Unfortunately and inexplicably the
Explorers were not ready to take on and defeat an inferior
opponent (Fordham) as they fell behind by an almost insurmountable
margin in the first half. The team did not quit and nearly
pulled an impossible upset but they missed a shot that
would have tied the game as time expired. The entire coaching
staff, after seeing all of the other top
seeds
in the tournament
lose,
has to take most of the responsibility for the 64-62 loss.
Grade for A10 Tournament: F (Failure)
Steven Smith won his second consecutive A10 Player of the
Year Award and was named to the All-Big 5 First team. Jermaine
Thomas received honorable mention in the A10 and was named
to the All-Big 5 second team.
Doctor John Giannini deserves much of the credit for turning
the program around in just 2 seasons.
Overall
Grade for the season: B (Above Average)
On behalf of all of the Explorer faithful, I want to
thank Steven Smith, Jermaine Thomas and Lewis Fadipe
for enduring more then any college student should have
to in their 4 years. They truly are special individuals
who are "Winners Who Never Quit" no matter
what happens.
Analyzing
the Officials from 2005-06 - Special Bonus Exclusively
for LaSalle-Explorers.com
The
Good, the Mediocre, the Inconsistent and the Horrible.
3/16/2006
by Hoops Tick
My
report is intended to ensure that Linda Bruno and Jim
Satalin get the message that
the good officials need to be rewarded, the mediocre and
inconsistent officials need to show improvement
and the below average and horrible officials need to be
terminated from officiating A10 games. Remember, these
individuals earn over $300 per contest for about 2 hours
work. For that kind of money, the officials need to be
professional and make the correct and obvious calls in
every game.
To summarize, there were 22 officials who appeared in at
least 2 La Salle games this past season. 3 of these officials
distinguished themselves as the best, while 4 of this group
deserve immediate termination without review and 4 others
of this group deserve
to be removed
from A10 officiating after review. In addition, there are
2 other officials who have officiated bad games in previous
season and need to be dismissed as well.
Jim Satalin, A10 Coordinator and Assignor of Officials, must take action
in
the
off-season and announce the officials who have been removed which must include
Hughes, Scagliotta
and the others rated as the worst. Otherwise, the fans will demand that Satalin
resign; we are holding the A10 accountable for poor, inept and corrupt
officiating.
The analysis is based on my grading system:
A (Superior) - the refs called the game near perfect and worked together
as a team.
B (Above Average) - the refs did their
job and made no major errors in the contest.
C (Average) - the refs made some errors equally for
both sides and the errors did not affect the outcome of
the game.
D (Below Average) - the refs made more errors heavily in favor of one
team over the other and possibly costing the less favored team a victory.
F (Failure) - the refs made major errors
affecting the outcome of the game (such as major errors
in the final 2 minutes of a close game) and need to
be fined and/or suspended by the Atlantic 10 immediately
after the game.
The Best A-10 Officials - Promotion Needed
| Official |
Game 1 |
Game 2 |
La Salle Record |
| John Larocca |
B 1/29 W |
B 2/22 L |
1-1 |
| Fran Connolly |
B 11/20 W |
B 2/11 W |
2-0 |
| David Walker |
B 1/29 W |
A 2/15 W |
2-0 |
Notes: Larocca,
Connolly and Walker rated the best for those officials who
were involved in 2 or more La Salle games and deserve to
officiate more A10 games next year.
The
A-10 Level Officials - Average or Above
| Official |
Game 1 |
Game 2 |
Game 3 |
La Salle Record |
Bernard Clinton
|
B 12/18 W
|
C 2/8 W
|
|
2-0 |
Curtis Blair
|
D 12/11 W
|
B 2/4 W
|
|
2-0 |
Duke Edsall
|
D 12/3 W
|
B 1/11 L
|
|
1-1 |
Jackie Sanders
|
B 1/7 W
|
A 2/15 W
|
D 3/9 L
|
2-1 |
Ken Turner
|
B 1/7 W
|
D 1/21 L
|
|
1-1 |
Notes: The 5
officials above rated average or above in 2 or more officiated
La Salle games. Need to sharpen their skills to reach
Top officials.
The A10 Officials Needing Improvement To Remain
| Official |
Game 1 |
Game 2 |
Game 3 |
Game 4 |
Game 5 |
La Salle Record |
Jeff Clark
|
A 11/30 W
|
D 12/22 L
|
D 1/11 L
|
C 2/1 W
|
B 2/22 L
|
2-3 |
Gary Prager
|
B 1/29 W
|
F 3/1 L
|
|
|
|
1-1 |
DJ Carstensen
|
C 1/4
W
|
F 3/1
L
|
|
|
|
1-1 |
Brian
O'Connell
|
A 2/15
W
|
F 3/1
L
|
|
|
|
1-1 |
| Jack Sweeney |
F 1/25 L |
C 2/1 W |
|
|
|
1-1 |
Ron
Tyburski
|
A 11/30
W
|
F 12/30
L
|
D 2/4
W
|
|
|
2-1 |
Notes: The officials listed above need to improve their consistency. They
need more training and must improve next season.
The Below Average Officials - Need to Be Replaced After Review
| Official |
Game 1 |
Game 2 |
Game 3 |
La Salle Record |
Frankie Bordeaux
|
F 1/18 L
|
D 3/4 W
|
|
1-1 |
Kevin O'Connell
|
D 1/21 L
|
D 3/4 W
|
|
1-1 |
Eric Anderson
|
D 11/26 W
|
D 1/14 L
|
C 2/18 W
|
2-1 |
George Harry
|
D 11/26 W
|
C 1/4 W
|
F 1/21 L
|
2-1 |
Wally Rutecki
|
D 2/18 W
|
|
|
1-0 |
Notes:
These refs have rated below average and need to be
replaced next season in the rotation. Wally Rutecki is on this list for his bad reputation from previous
seasons.
The
Worst A-10 Officials - Terminate Immediately
| Official |
Game 1 |
Game 2 |
Game 3 |
La Salle Record |
| John Hughes |
F 12/20 W |
D 2/8 W |
F 3/9 L |
2-1 |
| Frank Scagliotta |
F 12/30 L |
F 1/11 L
|
F 1/18 L
|
0-3 |
Ray Perone
|
F 1/18 L
|
|
|
0-1 |
Larry Scirotto
|
D 12/20 W
|
D 1/14 L
|
D 3/9 L
|
1-2 |
| Eugene Crawford |
D 1/4 W |
B 2/22 L |
|
1-1 |
Notes: John
Hughes treated 2-time A10 Player of the Year
Steven Smith like he was a fouling machine. When you review
all of the games this year, it was obvious Hughes had a
problem with Steven - Hughes has to be eliminated from
officiating Division One basketball. Frank Scagliotta officiated
in 3 games at Gola Arena and he noticeably went against
the Explorers in all 3 games - he has to go. Ray Perone should
have been terminated after his antics against La Salle
last season. The time has come for the forced retirement
of Eugene Crawford, I was told by many that I was overly
generous in giving him a B for the GW game on 2/22. Larry
Scirotto's grades put him in the termination list.
Special thanks to LaSalle Radio Network broadcasters and
the local media members who helped identify the officials
by name.
Upset
Thursday: Explorers Allow Mediocre Fordham To Escape
With Win
After Watching All 3 of the Bye Teams
Lose Earlier Thursday, La Salle Coaches Knew What to
Expect.
3/9/06 by Hoops Tick
Doctor Giannini knew
that La Salle needed to come out and build an early
lead to
eliminate Fordham from even thinking about an upset.
Instead we saw a disorganized offensive team that fell
behind 22-6 and trailed 30-15. The Explorers were able
to cut the lead to 12 at the half at 38-26. The offense
was not running through A10 Player of the Year Steven
Smith (10 points) who was only able to score
4 points in the half as he was forced to take some
awkward
shots.
Surely
the second half would start out with La Salle taking
it to Fordham. Instead Fordham built an 18 point lead
at 44-26! La Salle did respond with a 34-17 run to cut
the lead to 1 point on a Smith layup with 1:02 remaining.
Then Mike St. John (7 points) was whistled
for a foul on Dunston with 1 second on the shot clock
(usually
this would not
be called). Dunston gave Fordham 2 points at the line
for a 63-60 lead. Paul Johnson got a rebound and scored
to pull La Salle to 63-62 with 20.5 remaining. Jermaine
Thomas (11 points, 6 assists) was forced to
foul Stout with 12.3 seconds left. Stout converted the
first
free
throw
but
missed
the second
to give Fordham a 64-62 lead. A 3-pointer wins the game,
a basket sends it to overtime. St. John had the ball
stripped and it went out of bounds with 4 seconds left.
Darnell Harris (17 points) took the shot but missed.
The rebound also missed. Game over, 64-62 Final.
Paul Johnson (10 points) and Sherm
"the Tank" Diaz (7
points) made positive contributions but La Salle missed
5 free throws. With the score 59-52, Harris missed
2 critical free throws and Lewis Fadipe missed 2 in the
first half.
I still do not understand what the game plan was as I
expected the Explorers to come out on fire and more then
ready to beat an inferior team they had lost to just
a week prior by not playing good defense. The entire
coaching staff has to take responsibility for not winning
this game. What makes it even more painful is that both
GW and Charlotte were eliminated earlier making the NCAA
a strong possibility had the Explorers won.
Officials:
John Hughes, Jackie Sanders and Larry Scirotto.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: D (Below Average) Overall.
Notes: I
got that sick feeling when they posted John Hughes as an
official
for this game. Hughes has a problem with
A10 Player of the Year Steven Smith (see articles from Florida
International game and UMass road game from
this season). Jim Satalin heads
the selection of officials and he had to know that Hughes
has
made fraudulent
calls against La Salle's Smith in previous games this season.
In this game Hughes, who gets an "F" was no different.
Smith's second foul in the first half, made by Hughes, should
have been a no-call. Hughes then called Smith for a bogus
foul after the ball was in the basket
for
his
4th
foul
with
over
13
minutes
remaining!
Steven
was forced to sit for over 6 minutes and it obviously hurt
the Explorers chances. Hughes fouled out Fordham's second
leading scorer, Jermaine Anderson, with over 8 minutes to
go. Then, at the end of the game Hughes whistled Mike St.
John, who was run over by Dunston, for a foul with just one
second on the shot clock. The 2 free throws that Dunston
converted were the difference in the final score. Other
2 officials get "D" grades. Satalin
needs to be fired immediately.
Box Score
Steven
Smith Wins Second Consecutive A10 Player of The Year
Award
3/5/06
by Hoops Tick
The
Explorer averaged 20 points and 8 rebounds but also led
La Salle to a Winning Record and 3rd Place in the A10 standings.
All-American Steven
Smith admits that team goals always come before
personal goals. This season he has accomplished both.
Smith knew he could help the team get above .500 and
in the process
earned his second Player of the Year Award. The NBA is
waiting for Steven.
Explorers
Earn 3rd Place and Bye by Canceling Bills
3/4/06
by Hoops Tick
The
Explorers
Win 62-52 To Earn 3rd Place in Division and First Round
Bye in A10 Tournament.
La Salle (18-9, 10-6 for 3rd place) was led by All-American Steven
Smith (26
points and a career high 16 rebounds) in the win over the
Saint Louis Billikens (16-12, 10-6 for 4th place). Smith
made a jumper to give La Salle a 25-18 advantage with 3:38
to go in the half. The half ended with the Billikens scoring
the last 4 points to close to 25-22.
In
the second half Smith drilled an amazing 3-pointer as
the shot clock was running down to give La Salle a comfortable
margin at 43-35 with 5:25 to go. Jermaine Thomas (10
points) played awesome defense on Lische who was only
able to score
5 points. Lewis Fadipe contributed 4 points and 7 rebounds
making it a great day for the 3 seniors: Smith, Thomas
and Fadipe.
Others
who contributed great efforts include Sherm Diaz (11
points) and Tabby Cunningham (8 points on some clutch
free throws).
The Explorers face a yet to be determinded opponent
on Thursday at 8:30pm in the A10 Tournament.
Officials: Frankie Bordeaux, Kevin O'Connell
and Rudy Seneca.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: D (Below Average)
Overall.
Notes
on officials: Despite the fact that it was Senior Day
at La Salle, the calls still favored Saint Louis with 2
unacceptable calls in each half against the Explorers.
In the first half, Mike St. John was whistled
for pushing off on Vouyoukas even though he was not within
10 feet of him. Then less then a minute later, Mike was
called for a cheap touch foul on Vouyoukas. In the second
half, Mike was blatantly hit from behind by Vouyoukas and
no call was made. Then later on, Liddell had heavy contact
on Smith and no call was made.
Box
Score
Bad Defensive
Effort Hurt But Disgraceful Officiating Dooms Explorers
3/1/06
by Hoops Tick
The
Fordham Rams Used Bad Defense and Corrupt Officiating to
Win 83-74.
Not even God will be able to help Jim Satalin and Linda
Bruno if La Salle (17-9, 9-6) witnesses another corrupt
officiating crew on Saturday. Not even Michael Jordan got
away with the travelling that Bryant Dustin and Jermaine
Anderson did in this game. Dunston travelled at least 4
times leading to 9 Fordham points and Anderson walked at
least 3 times leading to 6 points. Dunston also got away
with taunting Mike St. John (7 points,
10 boards) while Anderson got away with running over Steven
Smith (33
points) and Smith was given a foul by Gary Prager! Take
away the corrupt officiating and La Salle wins a close
game. Fordham (13-15) is now 8-7 in the A10 standings thanks
to the gift from the 3 officials.
The bad defense by La Salle allowed Corey McCrae (averaging
5.3 points) to get a career best 25 points on 6 for 6 shooting
(all 3-pointers).
La
Salle closes
out the regular season on Saturday which is senior
day at Gola Arena. The opponent is the pesky Billikens
from Saint Louis.
Officials: DJ Carstensen, Brian O'Connell and Gary
Prager.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: F (Failure)
Overall.
Notes on officials: None of these "refs" should ever
officiate another game at any level as they are a disgrace
to officiating.
Dunston and Anderson (Fordham's two leading scorers) were
allowed
to
get away
with everything
including
Dunston covering 8 feet of floor without a dribble! In
the first half, Jermaine Thomas (17 points,
3 assists) got hit in the face by Dunston while dribbling
and nothing was
called. The good
news is that the game is on video thanks to Fordham's Webcast.
Box
Score
Explorers
Show Pop But #6 Colonials Have Strong Second Half
2/22/06
by Hoops Tick
George
Washington Colonials Trailed 35-31 At Half But Used Right
Combination in Second Half to Win 77-65.
La Salle (17-8, 9-5) led for a great portion of the first
half and even extended the lead to 7 points twice in the
early part of the second half. Darnell Harris
(19 points) hit consecutive 3-pointers to give La Salle
a 19-17 lead. Later on Paul Johnson (8
points) nailed a 3-pointer to give the Explorers a 33-29
lead and then Steven Smith (12 points,
6 boards) closed out the first half scoring with a layup
to give the Blue and Gold a 35-31 lead.
Paul
Johnson opened the second half with another 3-pointer and
the Explorers scored again to push the lead to 40-33 and
put a little bit of a scare into the GW (23-1, 13-0) team
and their fans. However, the Explorers made some poor decisions
and costly turnovers in the next few possesions to allow
GW to take their first lead, 41-40, since the mid-way point
of the first half on a Maureece Rice 3-pointer with about
15:30 remaining. La Salle battled but GW was very determined
and despite some heroics from Jermaine Thomas
(10 points, 4 assists) and Mike St. John
(8 points), the Explorers found themselves facing a 66-56
deficit. The Explorers ended up losing by 12 points.
La
Salle held Mike Hall to just 5 points.
Marshall Taylor was really missed in this
game as the Explorers lacked the good spark they get from
him coming off the bench in a close game.
La Salle gets a much deserved rest this weekend before battling
Fordham next Wednesday. The Explorers close out the regular
season the following Saturday (senior day at Gola Arena)
against Saint Louis.
Officials: Eugene Crawford, Jeff Clark,
John Larocca
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: B (Above Average)
Overall.
Notes
on officials: The calls did not affect the outcome of the
game. Crawford and Clark must have been put on notice.
Box
Score
Explorers
Shoot Down Flyers For 7th Straight Victory
2/18/06
by Hoops Tick
Dayton
Battled But Explorers Prevailed in 74-71 Win.
The Explorers (17-7, 9-4 for third place in Atlantic 10)
defeated their nemesis from Ohio for the first time in
a few seasons. La Salle started out quickly and built a
15-11 lead with 12:37 on the clock on a jumper by Steven
Smith (25 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists). The
Dayton Flyers (12-14, 4-8) were able to keep pace with
the Explorers
for most
of the
game
and
led the game 34-33 at the break.
Explorers defend against Dayton attack.
The second half started with Smith hitting a 12 foot jumper. The lead changes
continued for the next 11 minutes. Darnell Harris (16 points
and a steal) put
the Explorers into the lead for good with 9:05 remaining with a huge 3-pointer
to
give La Salle
a 2
point
lead at 55-53. Then something strange happened with 7:26 remaining and the Explorers
ahead 59-55. Norman Plummer got in Mike St. John's face because
he thought he
was low-bridged on a dunk attempt. Ref Wally Rutecki was only
going to give St. John (4 points, 3 assists) a technical but the other 2 refs
met
at
mid-court
and
changed the call
to include a technical against Plummer as well. The Gola Arena crowd of 3,600
was loud in their protest of the original call against St. John. Brian Roberts
(24
points)
cut the Explorer lead to a single point as he drilled a 3-pointer with 1:46 left,
72-71. Smith closed out the scoring with a couple of free throws.
Jermaine Thomas (17 points and 5 assists
and 2 steals)
gave the Explorers another great effort.
La
Salle held Monty Scott to just 2 points on 1 for 6 shooting.
Tabby Cunningham played for 2 minutes
but is still not healthy enough to play extended minutes.
#7 George Washington (1st place in A10) is the next opponent
in DC. The good news is that the Explorers have not lost
an
away
game outside of the Philadelphia area all season.
Officials: Eric Anderson, Mike Roberts and Wally
Rutecki
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: C (Average) Overall.
Notes
on officials: Wally Rutecki receives a "D", the
other two officials receive a "C". There were too many
off-the-ball foul calls.
Box
Score
Explorers
Unleash New Weapon For 6th Straight Win
2/15/06
by Hoops Tick
Explorers
Beat Bonnies 74-62
for 16th Win.
The Explorers (16-7, 8-4 in Atlantic 10)
took care of the 13th place St. Bonaventure Bonnies (7-16,
1-11) in an easy win at Gola Arena. The Bonnies battled
the Explorers in the early going and actually held a 21-17
lead over the Explorers before La Salle went on an 11-0
run as Sherman "The Tank" Diaz (11
points, 5 boards in 25 minutes) came to life by making
his first 3-pointer to give La Salle a 28-21 lead. Then,
the Tank hit another 3-pointer to give the Explorers
a 34-28 edge. The Explorers finished the half with a 13
point lead.
Sherman "The Tank" Diaz
In the second half Steven Smith (22 points,
6 boards, 6 assists and a steal in only 33 minutes) started
it out with a 3-pointer and a few minutes later the Tank
drilled his third
3 pointer of the game to boost the lead to 50-34. Jermaine
Thomas (17 points and 8 assists) nailed a 3-pointer
to reach 1,200 points and give bump the margin to 17 at
60-43
with
about
13 minutes
to
go. Ahmad Smith hit a meaningless 3-pointer to pull the
Bonnies within 15 at 70-55. Darnell Harris (12
points) closed out the scoring for La Salle with a reverse
jam.
Ahmad
Smith (17 points, 5 assists) and Michael Lee (15 points,
9 boards) led the Bonnies.
Tabby Cunningham is still nursing his
foot injury and did not play. Marshall Taylor was
rushed to the hospital to have his appendix removed on
Tuesday night. He will miss
at least two weeks. The Explorers need to remain focused
as a very winnable game is next as Dayton will visit
Gola Arena
on Saturday. With Fordham's loss at Xavier tonight, the
Explorers move into 3rd place in the division.
Officials: David Walker, Jackie Sanders and Brian
O'Connell.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: A
(Superior).
Notes
on officials: They called an excellent and accurate
game.
Box
Score
Three
Explorers Lead La Salle To Victory Over All The Musketeers
2/11/06
by Hoops Tick
Explorers
Take Xavier to the Cleaners in 79-70 Contest for 15th
Win.
La Salle is now 15-7 (7-4 in Atlantic 10) and appears headed
to the post-season. The Explorers kept the crowd of 10,038
mostly quiet and drove Xavier coach Sean Miller to draw
a technical in capturing their
fifth
straight
win. The victory ensures the Explorers of their first winning
season in 13 years.
The first half started with a sizzle
as both teams came out
shooting
very
well.
La Salle took a 26-24 lead on 3 pointer by Jermaine
Thomas (18 points, 8 boards and 6 assists) with 9:02 remaining.
The teams battled to a tie at 36 before
La Salle closed out the half with 4 unanswered points to
lead 40-36 at the break. The Explorers never trailed
the rest of the way.
The second half started with a 3-pointer by Dedrick Finn
of Xavier; Xavier did not get their next field goal until
almost 9 minutes later. Then Steven Smith (23
points, 11 boards, 5 assists and 2 blocks) scored on jumper
to start La Salle on a 18-6 run.
The stretch included great shooting from Darnell
Harris who had 18 points
and 6 boards. After Stanley Burrell hit a 3-pointer, La
Salle still led 58-47 with 10:27 remaining.
Xavier fought back to within two points at 67-65 with 4:15
remaining. Then Smith added a couple of free throws before
Marshall Taylor sealed the win with a layup with 2:07 to
go to put La Salle up 71-66. Thomas and Smith combined
to score the last 7 points for La Salle
from the
line. Smith, Thomas and Harris led the way to get the magic
number to zero.
MAGIC NUMBER = 0
A
scary moment occured in the first half as Brian Thornton,
Xavier's leading scorer and rebounder,
broke
his right ankle while going for a loose ball with 7:35
remaining. It appears Thornton will miss the rest of
the season. Please keep Brian in your prayers.
The
Explorers held Xavier's third leading scorer, Justin
Doellman, to only 2 points in 26 minutes, all from the
foul line as he shot 0 for 6 from
the floor.
La Salle was without Tabby Cunningham for
the second straight game. Two of the bottom dwellers visit
Gola Arena as the Bonnies and Flyers visit Gola Arena next
week.
Officials: Earl Walton, Fran Connolly and Tracy
Woodson .
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: B
(Above Average).
Notes
on officials: Nothing out of the ordinary to
report.
Box
Score
Explorers
Take Everything But Life Out of Minutemen
2/08/06
by Hoops Tick
Explorers
Snap 12 Year Losing Trend With 14th Victory of the
Season.
La Salle (14-7, 6-4) ended UMass' 12 game home winning
streak with a 65-44 pounding of the Minutemen (10-10, 5-5)
and complete the 2 game season sweep. The William
D.
Mullins
Center crowd of nearly 3,900 was mostly silent as La Salle
held UMass to only 22 points in each half. La Salle started
out very
slow
and trailed 13-7. La Salle fought back and took a 16-15
lead on a Paul Johnson (8 points in 21
minutes) slam dunk with 8 minutes remaining in the half.
La Salle was
never
looked
back as they led
the rest of the game. With a little under 5 minutes to
go Steven Smith (10 points in 27 minutes)
was fouled with a hard elbow to the temple and had
to leave
the game
for
the remainder
of the half. The Explorers led at the break 27-22.
At the start of the second half the Blue and Gold pushed
the lead to 44-26 with about 13 minutes remaining. However
Smith was called for a questionable 3rd foul and
then a 4th foul with 14 minutes to go. He was forced to
sit. In the meantime, UMass
came to life as James Life (18 points) went on a 15 point
scoring tear (6 free throws and three 3 pointers) in under
4 minutes
to cut the lead to 46-41 with 7:45 to play. Smith's return
to
the
court
at
7:04
must
have
inspired the Explorers as they went on a 16-0 run to put
the game out of reach at 62-41 after a Jermaine
Thomas (12 points, 6 assists) traditional 3 point play with 2:06
left. UMass was only able to score 3 points in the last
7:45
of the
game
as
the Explorers closed out the game.
Mike
St. John (13 points) and Darnell Harris
(14 points, 9 rebounds) kept
extending the Explorer lead with 3 pointers while Lewis
Fadipe (6 points) kept the UMass
defense honest.
The
Explorers held UMass' leading scorer, Rashaun Freeman,
to just 4 points in 34 minutes, all from the foul line
as he shot 0 for 8 from
the floor.
La Salle was without Tabby Cunningham who
injured his ankle in practice on Tuesday. The good news
is that Marshall
Taylor (2 points in 17 minutes) returned for the
first time since sustaining an injury in the Saint Joe's
contest. The Explorers visit the hostile Xavier home court
on Saturday.
Officials: John Hughes, Bernard Clinton and
John Gwynn.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: C
(Average).
Notes
on officials: Even John Hughes, who receives a
"D", could not take this game away from the Explorers
even with a bogus call on Steven Smith for his third
foul which was magnified when Smith picked up his
fourth less then a minute later and still 14 minutes
remaining in the game. Also, as the head official,
Hughes allowed the team fouls in the second half
to get to 10 for La Salle to just
1 for
UMass with
about 10 minutes to go. The other 2 officials did
an average job and receive a "C".
Box
Score
Half
Way Checkup for Atlantic 10
2/07/06
Explorers Fighting Back To Top Half
of Division
A10 Standings as of February 6
| A10
University |
Conference Record |
Overall Record |
Top
A10 Opponents Remaining |
| George Washington |
8-0 |
18-1 |
at
Fordham 2/25; Charlotte 3/4 |
| Charlotte |
6-3 |
13-8 |
at
Fordham 2/18; at GW 3/4 |
| Saint Louis |
6-3 |
12-9 |
at
Charlotte 2/25; at La Salle 3/4 |
| Fordham |
5-3 |
10-11 |
Charlotte
2/18; GW 2/25 |
| La Salle |
5-4 |
13-7 |
at
GW 2/22; at Fordham 3/1 |
| Massachusetts |
5-4 |
10-9 |
at
GW 2/15; Charlotte 2/22 |
| Rhode Island |
5-4 |
11-9 |
at
Fordham 2/12; at St. Louis 2/22 |
| Temple |
5-4 |
12-8 |
at
Charlotte 2/8; at St. Louis 2/18 |
| Richmond |
4-4 |
11-10 |
at
Charlotte 2/15; GW 2/18 |
| Xavier |
4-4 |
13-6 |
at
Rhode Island 2/25; at UMass 3/4 |
| Saint Joseph's |
4-5 |
10-9 |
GW
2/11; at Xavier 2/28 |
| Dayton |
3-6 |
11-12 |
at
GW 2/8; at St. Louis 3/1 |
| Duquesne |
1-8 |
3-17 |
at
Rhode Island 2/8; at Charlotte 3/1 |
| St. Bonaventure |
0-9 |
6-14 |
Fordham
2/9; GW 3/1 |
The
top 4 teams gain a bye in A10 Tournament. The bottom
2 teams are not eligible to participate in the A10
Tournament. On February 15 there will start to be
separation and by February 18 the division will become
clearer.
Explorers
Use Full House Plus Ace To Send Owls Away With Big
5 Loss
2/04/06
by Hoops Tick
Explorers
Snap 15 Game Big 5 Losing Streak With 62-56 Victory Over
Temple as Smith Leads.
The sellout crowd of 4,000 was loud and helped the Explorers
(13-7, 5-4 in Atlantic 10) at key moments. Temple (12-8,
5-4) came into the game having won 3 in a row including
a victory over
#19
Maryland. The
Owls quickly built a 10-5 lead in this game. La Salle then
scored
on
a Darnell
Harris (19 points, 5 threes)
3 pointer and a Steven Smith (21 points,
5 threes) 3 pointer to make it 11-10 with
about
15:50
remaining
in the half. Mardy Collins (17 points) made
1 of 2 free throws to tie the score at 11. Then Darnell
Harris hit another 3 pointer to put La Salle ahead 14-11.
Temple was able to tie it again at 16 on a Dustin Salisbery
(7 points) jumper. Darnell Harris hit another 3 pointer
to put La Salle ahead for good at 19-16. The half ended
with
the
Explorers ahead 30-27.
In the second half, Jermaine Thomas (9
points, 6 assists) nailed a 3 pointer to give La Salle
some breathing room at 37-33
with 15:10
remaining. Then Darnell Harris hit a 3 pointer to increase
the margin to 40-33. Then Steven Smith took over with a
3 pointer to make it 43-35 and later another 3 pointer
to give the Explorers a 46-39 lead with 11:50 to go. Steven
hit yet another 3 pointer to give his team a 52-44
lead with 7 minutes to go. He later hit 2 clutch free throws
to give the Explorers a comfort zone at 60-56 with 1:18
remaining. Mardy Collins, who was attempting to force contact,
travelled in the lane. Jermaine Thomas then missed the
free throw on a 1 and 1 attempt. Then La Salle finally
caught a break as Wayne Marshall (15 points) was whistled
for an illegal screen with 24.9 to go. Darnell Harris then
hit
2 free
throws to seal the victory at 62-56.
Steven Smith celebrates
Big 5 win with Jermaine Thomas
The
Explorers held Mark Tyndale to just 2 points.
La Salle has a three game winning streak and holds
8th place in the A10. The Explorers face their first A10
road trip of the year with visits to UMass on Wednesday
and Xavier next Saturday.
Officials: Curtis Blair, Dennis Arinello and
Ron Tyburski.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: B
(Above Average).
Notes
on officials: Ron Tyburski gets a "D" grade
for a couple of really bad calls. The other 2 refs
get a "B". Tyburski whistled Tabby Cunningham for a foul
in the second half.
Only problem was that Tyburski was completely screened
from the play as Tabby made a clean steal. No way
a ref can make that call. The second came at the
end of the game and it actually favored La Salle.
Wayne Marshall was called for an illegal screen
with 24.9 to go and La Salle ahead by 4 points.
If the call had not been made Temple would have
trailed by just 1 as the 3 point shot connected.
The call did not determine the outcome of the game
but an assist from a ref is always welcome at Gola
Arena for the home team.
Box
Score
Blue and Gold Show Nerves of Steel in Sweeping Dukes Away
2/01/06
by Hoops Tick
Explorers
Never Trailed in 75-66 Win Over Duquesne Dukes.
The Explorers played as a team and never allowed Duquesne
to closer then 9 points from the mid-point of the second
half on. La Salle (12-7, 4-4 in Atlantic 10) carried a
41-25 lead at the break. The Dukes (3-15, 1-7) got as close
as 13-12 but the Explorers went on a 6-0 run to go up 19-12
on Sherm Diaz jumper (8 points). Lewis
Fadipe had a big first half, scoring all 8 of
his points in the half. Darnell Harris had
12 points on 4 for 9 shooting from the field. Paul
Johnson contributed 9 points
on a couple of outstanding dunks. Tabby Cunningham had
2 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and only 2 turnovers. The
Explorers took both games in the season series against
the Dukes.
Steven Smith had a below average game,
at least by his standards, with 11 points and 8 rebounds
in 34 minutes.
Jermaine
Thomas has re-gained the magic that he had
at the end of last season and led the team with 20
points (7 rebounds) by drilling key baskets. Jermaine
nailed a 3-pointer to put the Explorers up by17 at
52-35. Later on, Thomas stopped a 9-0 Duquesne run
with 2 free throws to push
the lead back to 12 at 56-44 with 9:52 to go in the
game.
Jermaine Thomas
Senior Bryant
McAllister had 20 points to lead Duquesne.
The Explorers have a two game winning streak and moves
them into 8th place in the A10. The Explorers need to continue
the winning momentum and beat Temple on Saturday.
Gola Arena should be full.
Officials: Jeff Clark, Jack Sweeney and William
Bush.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: C
(Average).
Notes
on officials: Jeff Clark and Jack Sweeney get a
"C" grade. William Bush gets an "F". William Bush made
bogus calls for both teams including: Tabby Cunningham
get knocked to the floor right in
front
of him (no foul was called); ball
going off of Lewis Fadipe and Bush giving the ball
to La Salle in first half; ball went off of Dukes
player later in the half and he gave it to Duquesne;
in second
half Bush gave Lewis Fadipe an offensive foul on
an obvious dive by Bryant McAllister; later on, he called
Dukes for a phantom foul.
Box
Score
Explorers Are 40-Minute Men in Defeating UMass
1/29/06
by Hoops Tick
Solid
Team Defense And Plenty of Steven Smith Give La Salle 68-61
Win.
Coach
John Giannini had the team playing intense team defense
for most of the game and forcing 13 UMass turnovers. Steven
Smith came
up huge as he had 24 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and
a steal in 36 minutes. La Salle (11-7, 3-4 in Atlantic
10) fell behind 9-3 before going on a 12-0 run to lead
15-9
on a
Steven
Smith hook shot. The Explorers never allowed the UMass
Minutemen (9-8, 4-3) to tie or re-take the lead for the
rest of the
game and went into the half with a 33-26 lead paced by
Smith's
13
first
half points.
#30 Steven Smith
The second half started with a flurry of points for both
teams. After the Minutemen pulled to within 6 at 40-34
on an NBA range 3-pointer by James Life (14 points), La
Salle went on a 10-3 run to lead 50-37. Life then put some
life back into UMass with another 3-pointer to make it
50-40. UMass did put a scare into the crowd when Chris
Lowe (12 points) cut the lead to 3 at 59-56 with 2:18 remaining.
The Explorers, however, were not going to let this one
slip
away as Jermaine Thomas (19 points, 4
steals and 6 rebounds) hit clutch free throws in the last
2 minutes. La
Salle protected the ball with only 9 turnovers for the
game.
#23 Jermaine Thomas
The Explorers ended a five game losing skid and look to
be playing better team ball and with the confidence we
saw earlier in the season.
Attendance was an awesome
3,132.
Officials: David Walker, Gary Prager and John
Larocca.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: B
(Above Average) for all 3.
Notes
on officials: It was good to see a fair and impartial officiating
crew who favored neither team. There were an equal amount
of non-calls against both teams. After the last 2 games,
having the foul calls being accurately called was a huge
relief.
Box
Score
Disrespecting Mr. Smith: Crazy, Corrupt Officials Calls
At End Tarnish Dunphy's 300th Career Victory
1/25/06
by Hoops Tick
The
Explorers Battled But Refs Took Game Away At End... Refs
Determined Outcome in Penn's Favor 73-65.
I
was watching the game in Section 205, row 6 with 4 of my
fellow alums and I asked them before the game if we would
see
a good game.
They
all agreed that
it would be a close game that the Explorers should win.
What they did not anticipate was the Penn Quakers being
greatly assisted by the three people in striped
shirts.
The Quakers (10-5) were getting whistles in their favor
on "anticipation" foul calls against La Salle (10-7). Penn
went to
the line 28 times,
22 in the second half. La Salle went to the line
13 times for the game. Steve Danley of Penn went
to the line an amazing 12 times to only twice for reigning
A10
Player of the Year
and All-American and Naismith candidate Steven Smith (23
points). How does Danley get more respect from the officials
then Smith? Maybe ref Tim O'Brien thought
that Danley was on the All-American and Naismith lists; he
certainly blew his whistle like he thought that was the case.
The Explorers trailed 32-30 at the break. The Explorers actually
led 51-50 with 9:44 to go on a jumper by Darnell
Harris (14
points). The
Explorers kept the game close and just when it appeared
the momentum would go to La Salle you heard a whistle in
Penn's favor. The Explorers were poised to win the game
at the end as Mike St. John completed
a traditional 3 point play with 2:50 remaining to bring
the Explorers to within
3 at 65-62. The score remained that way until 1:15 to go
in the game. Steven Smith was backing down the lane and
Eric Osmundson of Penn with his arms on Smith's back. Instead
of calling Osmundson (17 points) for the obvious foul,
ref Jack Sweeney calls Steven for his
5th foul! Then as Smith was 15 feet of the court, another
ref, Bob
Martin,
compounded the mistake by calling Smith for an unwarranted
technical foul! What is going on? These 2 calls sealed
the victory for the Penn Quakers.
I am sure Fran Dunphy will admit that
this is not the way to celebrate your 300th victory - with
3 officials taking
your side for most of the key moments in the game and ensuring
the Quakers would win.
This game was televised so I strongly advise
La Salle AD Tom Brennan to get this
game video from CN8 to A10 and Ivy League offices and
even to the NCAA office. The
season is turning into a nightmare due to a combination
of poor team defense and bad/inept/corrupt officiating. There
were over 30 whistles for foul calls in the second half
alone in a game that was not that physical.
Officials: Bob Martin, Tim O'Brien and Jack Sweeney.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: F
(Failure) for all 3.
Notes
on officials: See article above. How do we react if we
ever see these 3 non-professional officials again
at a
La
Salle game? The NCAA really needs to crack down on the
conferences and ensure that the officials call what they
see and to not ruin games with crazy, corrupt, or inept
calls. This bad officiating really makes me ill. This poor
officiating will not be tolerated even if it means me going
to Indianapolis with A10 Head of Officiating Jim
Satalin and A10 Commish Linda
Bruno with video evidence.
Box
Score
Deja Vu All Over Again; What's Up, Doc?
1/21/06
by Hoops Tick
The
Explorers Fail to Hold Onto 27-16 Halftime Lead Against
a Weak Hawks Team.
The
first half could not have been played any better from a
defensive standpoint for the Explorers (10-6, 2-4 in A10).
If they had connected on a few more shots they could have
put Saint Joe's (7-8, 2-4) away for good. The first half
could not have ended any better for the Explorer fans as
Phil Martelli was crying to the refs the
entire half and he eventually got some unwarranted calls
in the first half. However, the Explorers appeared confident
and poised going into the half as Mike St. John
(7 points, 9 rebounds) got a buzzer beater layup. The Explorers
had surely learned their lesson from the Temple game, correct?
Wrong!
The shocking, unbelievable second half started with the
Hawks, not the Explorers, coming out with passion and fire.
La Salle led 30-20 on a Paul Johnson (6
points) steal and jam plus the foul. Then Saint Joe's continued
to score against the suddenly soft La Salle defense. Jermaine
Thomas (8 points but missed too many open shots)
still gets zero respect from the officials as he was whistled
for a foul when a Saint Joe player ran into him and then
later when he was fouled without a call which both helped
Saint Joe's get back into the game. Saint Joe's led for
the first time at 36-34 with 12:09 to go in the game. Stachitus
hit an open 3 pointer for Saint Joe's to give them a 43-38
lead with 8:14 to go. Then Jermaine was called for a foul
on a clean strip of the ball which was his 4th foul and
forced him to sit with over 7:30 remaining and La Salle
trailing 44-38 and the Explorers never recovered. Steven
Smith played well inside but his outside shot was
not falling. He ended up with 17 points and 6 boards. La
Salle lost because they did not play well in the second
half. The Explorers ended up being outscored 50 to 27 in
the second half! The Hawks were aided greatly in scoring
50 points in the second half which easy to do when you are
awarded 39 foul shots (most of those in the second half).
Martelli's whining during the first half seemed to have
paid the Hawks a huge second half foul shot advantage.
What
happened to the team chemistry in the second half? Does
Dr. John Giannini and the coaches need
to have inspirational speakers and team- bonding sessions
(paint-ball game anyone?) to get them to play the way they
did early in the season? Can the coaches get the team to
play with confidence and up to their potential? We, the
Explorer faithful, are reaching the breaking point.
Officials: George Harry, Ken Turner and Kevin O'Connell.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: D
(Below Average).
Notes
on officials: Whistle-happy George Harry gets a "F"
and the other two get a "D". George Harry made
some disgusting calls including: a foul called against Steven
Smith in the first half that should have been a "jump
ball"; a very bad call against Jermaine Thomase that
sent Jalloh to the foul line to keep Saint Joe's close with
a little under 4 minutes to go in the first half; second
half call against Tabby Cunningham were Dwayne Lee was so
out-of-control that he injured Tabby on the play! The officials
gave a struggling Saint Joe's team an "unheard of 39
foul shots" according to tv announcer Ed Stefanski.
How does a 6 win and 8 loss team get to the line that often?
How does that happen when the Explorers are a "clean
team" as they do not consistently push or hack the
other team? How did La Salle only get to the line 16 times?
Box
Score
Tardy Zebras Team-Up With Upset Rams to Ensure Explorers
Defeat
1/18/06
by Hoops Tick
Explorers
Fall to Rhode Island Rams 71-68 Due to Anti-La Salle Refs
Frank Scagliotta, Ray Perone and Frankie Bordeauz.
The
game was delayed 55 minutes due to the refs assuming it
was a night game starting at 7pm. After 45 minutes, Rhode
Island's coach was so upset, he threatened to leave Gola
Arena with his team. Ray Perone (see 2
Duquesne losses last season) finally showed up with 14 minutes
to go in the first half. Frank Scagliotta was
another official and has shown his dislike for La Salle
in previous games this season (La Salle is now 0-3
in the 3 games he has officiated at Gola Arena
this year). La Salle (10-5, 2-3 in A10)
fell behind 30-23 with 7:23 remaining in the first half.
Shortly after a made jumper by Jermaine Thomas
(16 points, 4 assists), he was pushed to the floor by Jamaal
Wise and no foul was called by either Scagliotta
nor Perone who both were looking right at Jermaine. Later
in the half, Dawan Robinson grabbed and held Jermaine Thomas
on the shoulder as he was shooting and no foul was called.
Only 1 team foul had been called on Rhode Island (9-6, 3-1)
to this point to 5 for La Salle. The foul totals for the
first half were 7 for La Salle and only 3 for Rhode Island.
The Explorers trailed 34-28 at the half.
In the second half La Salle had a 12-1 run to lead 45-39
with 14:13 to go in the game on a tip-in by Darnell
Harris (14 points, 2 steals). Then with the Explorers
up 47-46 the ball went out of bounds off the hands of Will
Daniels of Rhode Island. Ray Perone is right next to the
play and signals Rhode Island ball! Then with 9:21 left
and La Salle leading 50-46, an out-of-control Dewan
Robinson (18 second half points, 20 total) ran
over Marshall Taylor (11 points) but Frankie
Bordeauz decided to not only call
a blocking foul but to reward Robinson incorrectly with
free throw shots. Neither Perone nor Scagliotta corrected
the error. Then again with 5:41 to go and La Salle ahead
54-53, Robinson was again out-of-control and should have
been whistled for a charge but Scagliotta decided to call
a block and neither Perone or Bordeauz overturned the error.
Rhode Island now led 56-54. With 4:17 remaining Steven
Smith (16 points, 6 rebounds) had has shirt pulled
out on a break away by Terrence Mack (9
points) and should have been whistled for
an intentional foul. Instead Ray Perone
calls a regular foul. La Salle now leads
58-57 on one of two free throws made by Smith. The
Explorers should have been up by at least 6 points had the
correct calls been made. On the very next possesion
Rhode Island's Kahiem Seawright clearly
traveled, no call was made and Robinson scored to put Rhode
Island ahead 59-58. The Explorers continued to battle and
Thomas connected on 2 free throws to put La Salle ahead
60-59. Darnell Harris hit a 3 pointer to
tie the score at 63 with 1:42 remaining. Marshall Taylor
then fouled out and then Thomas made a costly turnover.
But instead of being ahead by 3 or more points at this point
in the game, they trailed by 3 points due to the bad calls.
The tired Explorers ran out of energy and ended up losing
71-68. Rhode Island (only 13 fouls called on them) had 26
free throw attempts compared to only 12 for the Explorers
(21 fouls for the home team).
If anyone thinks I am whining then I would challenge them
to go back and watch a video of the game and show me where
I was wrong.
The Explorers only had 9 turnovers for the game and deserved
a better ending.
Questions:
1. Should the A10 Head of Officiating be immediately
terminated for allowing Scagliotta and Perone to work at
Gola Arena after past incidents?
2. Will A10 Commissioner Linda Bruno hold both
the A10 Head of Officiating and the refs accountable for
a series of incorrect second half calls with 95% favoring
Rhode Island? How are "professional"
officials late for a game?
3. Do I need to become a ref to "understand
and ensure" integrity in officiating?
4. Why is it always the same half dozen or so refs
who are improperly officiating the games?
Officials: Ray Perone, Frank Scagliotta
and Frankie Bordeauz.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: F
(Failure).
Notes on
officials: All 3 get Failing Grade. See article above.
Box
Score
Disappointing Outcome Against Owls
1/14/06
by Hoops Tick
Explorers
Turnovers Led to 25 Temple Points in 68-52 Loss.
La
Salle (10-4, 2-2 in A10) fell behind 8-2 and then went on
an 11-0 run to lead 11-8. Darnell Harris
(17 points in the first half and zero in the second half)
hit 3 straight 3 pointers in the run. The Explorers went
into halftime with a 35-30 lead over the Temple Owls (8-6,
2-2) but should have been up by more as they had 7 turnovers
and most of these were unforced.
19 turnovers against a good defensive team like Temple is
not going to get the Explorers a victory. Needless to say,
the team must work on protecting the ball in practice this
week.
Jermaine Thomas had a very disappointing game
(entered the game averaging 11.2 points per game) only scored
3 points on 1 for 6 shooting from the field in 37 minutes!
Most of his shots were uncontested and he looks like he
did when he had the Graves disease in his sophomore season.
The medical staff needs to make sure Jermaine is taking
his proper medication.
Mike St. John had a good effort with 9
points and 8 rebounds. Steven Smith (15
points and 7 rebounds) did not play one of his better games
mainly due to an ankle injury. Although some of this was
due to his teammates not getting him the ball. The coaching
staff needs to get the Explorers back to winning on Wednesday
against Rhode Island.
Justin Salisbery was given too many open looks and he capitalized
by scoring 23 points. Mardy Collins was held to 17 points.
Officials: Eric Anderson, James Breeding and Larry
Scirotto.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: D
(Below Average) .
Notes on
officials: The A-10 needs to clean-up the officiating including
this crew. James Breeding receives a "F", the other
2 get "D" grades. Jermaine Thomas had a clean pick
(all ball) against Mardy Collins with a little over 10 minutes
to go in the half. The bogus call by Breeding gave Jermaine
his second foul and swung the momentum of the game back to Temple.
Then just minutes later, Wayne Marshall was clearly over the
back of Jermaine Thomas but no call was made. With 3:48 remaining
in the half, Wayne Marshall then got away with another non-call
as he hit Steven Smith across the arms and Temple took the ball
with Breeding looking directly at the play. In the second half
another bogus call was made against Steven Smith as Collins
kicked him while attempting a 3 pointer and fell to the ground.
Collins got 3 foul shots. Somehow Temple got the line 21 times
while La Salle only had 7 visits!
Box
Score
Explorers Allow Goldwire and 49ers to Discover Road Win
1/11/06
by Hoops Tick
La
Salle Rushed Play on Offensive End and Failed to Stop Charlotte
Defensively in Second Half.
La
Salle (10-3, 2-1 in A10) started with a 5-0 lead but then started
to play out of control on the offensive end with rushed shots
or sloppy, unforced turnovers. The Explorers lost 64-52 to the
Charlotte 49ers (10-5, 3-0) but definitely should have played
with more energy and confidence.
Mike St. John (6 points, 13 rebounds) played very well
and kept the Explorers within striking distance with key rebounds.
The coaches need to spend more time with Jermaine
Thomas (3 for 12, 8 points) as he
had his second consecutive off night shooting from the floor.
Darnell Harris (7 points) kept the Explorers close
at the half as he tossed in a 65 footer at the buzzer to pull
La Salle within 5 at 30-25.
The Explorers had far too many turnovers (20 total) especially
by Steven Smith (6 turnovers) and Tabby
Cunningham (4 turnovers, 3 assists and 5 points). Protect
the ball!
Smith
had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Marshall Taylor
chipped in with 5 points in 15 minutes.
Leemire Goldwire of Charlotte definitively put the game out
of reach with 3 consecutive 3 pointers in a span of about 90
seconds. Charlotte's lead swelled from 51-43 to 60-45. Goldwire
made his first two free-throw attempts to set a Charlotte record
with 39 straight conversions but missed his final attempt leaving
him one short of the A10 record of 40. Curtis Withers had an
average game with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Officials: Jeff Clark, Duke Edsall and Frank Scagliotta.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: D
(Below Average) .
Notes
on officials: Duke Edsall gets a "B", Jeff Clark a
"D" and Scagliotta an "F" (see Hoftstra
game 12/30). The A-10 really needs to get rid of 2/3 of this
crew. Both Frank Scagliotta and Jeff Clark need to be fined
and disciplined by the A10 Head of Officiating for not working
as a team and for obvious missed calls. In the first half with
Charlotte ahead by a point the ball clearly went out of bounds
off of Charlotte so Scagliotta rules Charlotte ball. Then Edsall,
who had the better angle, attempts to correctly overturn Scagliotta's
bad call and give the ball to La Salle but Scagliotta tells
Edsall 'no way you are over-ruling my call'. Jeff Clark,
on a few obvious occasions, was allowing too much contact by
Withers on Smith as the physical Withers was not whistled for
a foul until about 11 minutes to go in the game! Charlotte was
allowed to reach-in and grab jerseys without a reaction from
Scagliotta but as soon as Tabby Cunningham did it to Charlotte
his whistle blew. Scagliotta has consistently made bad calls
against the Explorers at Gola Arena and on the road.
Box
Score
Marshall
Taylor Claims A10 Rookie of the Week Honors
1/8/06
Marshall Taylor was
awarded his first A10 Rookie of the Week Award by averaging
10.5 points and 4 rebounds as the Explorers started Atlantic
10 play with a pair of wins over Duquesne and Richmond.
La Salle Untangles The Spiders Traps
1/7/06
by Hoops Tick
The
Explorers Show Confidence in 67-56 Victory Over Richmond Spiders.
The
Explorers (10-2, 2-0 in A10) got off to a 25-13 lead with
7:45 to go in the half on a 3 pointer by Steven Smith
(14 points, 7 rebounds). The Explorers led 35-25 at halftime
as Marshall Taylor (11 points, 5 rebounds)
scored on a buzzer beater. Coach Giannini had
the team prepared to play defense against the weird Princeton-style
offense of Richmond (7-7, 0-1).
Richmond played tough the entire game and even cut the deficit
to 43-42 with 11:22 to go in the game. Richmond stayed within
striking distance until Darnell Harris (15
points) nailed a 3 pointer that sealed the victory by putting
the Explorers ahead 60-48 with 4:54 to go in the game. Mike
St. John had a great game with 11 points on 4 for
5 shooting and 5 rebounds in 31 minutes.
Gaston Moliva led Richmond with 14 points. Kevin Steenberge
was held to just 5 points and 3 rebounds.
The Explorers welcome Charlotte in their visit to Philadelphia
this season on Wednesday before going to Temple on the 14th.
Officials: Jackie Sanders, John Regan and Ken Turner.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: B
(Good job overall).
Notes on officials:Nothing out of the ordinary to report.
Box
Score
Explorers Start Slow, Finish Strong
1/4/06
by Hoops Tick
Explorers
Wear Out Duquesne Dukes In Second Half in 84-61 Win.
La
Salle (9-2) amazingly trailed 34-26 at halftime to a depleted
Duquesne (2-10) team. The Explorers missed easy layups in
the half which contributed to the deficit. Steven
Smith did not enter the game until 15:24 remained
in the first half. There was an incident in practice that
prompted this according to Coach Giannini.
Duquesne led 43-40 on a 3 point play by Duquesne's best player
Bryant McAllister (22 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists) with
15:20 to play. La Salle scored the next 15 points to put the
game away.
Steven Smith had 21 points and 2 assists
in just 27 minutes. Current A10 Rookie of
the Week, Paul Johnson, had another solid
effort with 10 points and 6 rebounds in 17 minutes. He is
becoming a leader on the floor. Fellow freshman Marshall
Taylor also had a very solid effort with 10 points
and 3 rebounds in 19 minutes. Darnell Harris
(14 points) and Jermaine Thomas (12 points)
gave the Explorers key baskets.
The coaches will need to make sure that the team plays with
discipline, intensity and purpose from start to finish against
the Spiders on Saturday. Since returning from CCSU on December
18 this will be the first and only time the Explorers leave
Pennsylvania until a road game against UMass on February 8.
Attendance was an excellent 3,421.
Officials: DJ Carstense, George Harry and Eugene Crawford.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: C
(Average)
Notes
on officials: The A10 head of officiating is either
crazy or naive. Why not have Ray Perrone
officiating at Gola Arena as well!!! Eugene Crawford,
who should be in a retirement home, was allowed to officiate
in this game. You may remember Crawford from the 2/23/05
game last season against the Dukes - he was the ref who
erroneously took points away from La Salle and gave the momentum
to Duquesne. I will give Eugene Crawford a "D" for
allowing the Dukes McAllister to tackle Darnell Harris in
the first half right in front of him with no call and for
not having enough sense to retire 2 years ago.
Box
Score
Paul Johnson is A-10 Rookie of the Week
01/01/06
Paul Johnson shot
10 for 15 combined in two games for 11 point scoring average
and 3.5 rebounds per game in earning his first A10 Rookie
of the Week Award.
Explorers Lose Focus, Calls and Game
12/30/05
by Hoops Tick
La
Salle 71-70 Loss to Hofstra Pride Aided by Poor Execution
and Bad Officiating.
La
Salle (8-2) led 38-36 at halftime. Hofstra led 52-47 in the
second half before La Salle came back to take a 54-52 lead.
The home-court officiating allowed Hofstra players to
get away with far too much physical contact and even gave
Hofstra the ball when they clearly knocked it out off bounds
a couple of times. Only problem is Hofstra was the visiting
team! La Salle actually led 69-61 with 3:54 remaining and
only needed to convert on one more possession to put Hofstra
away. Instead 3 consecutive careless turnovers allowed Hofstra
to tie the score at 69 with 1:34 to go. Steven Smith
was fouled and missed the first of his two free throws before
giving the Explorers a 70-69 lead with 1:14 remaining. The
Explorers did not stop the Pride on their next possesion and
it ended up costing the Explorers the victory.
Antoine Agudio scored 23 points for Hofstra.
Steven Smith had a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Jermaine Thomas missed a couple of needed layups
but contributed 9 points and 5 assists. Darnell Harris
pumped in 16 points and Paul Johnson added
11 points. Tabby Cunningham made a few critical
unforced turnovers that really hurt. The coaches need to fine-tune
the team prior to conference play.
Attendance was 1,852.
Officials: Frank Scagliotta, Gene Steratore and Ron
Tyburski
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: F
(Failure)
Notes
on officials: This entire crew must be fined and suspended for
the remainder of the season. They allowed Hofstra players to push
and hack La Salle players and made only the "hard foul"
calls. At the end of the contest with just 6.1 seconds remaining
and La Salle still having a chance to win, Tabby Cunningham was
tripped up by two Hofstra players. He lost the ball and no call
was made by Frank Scagliotta nor Ron Tyburski who were both close
enough to witness the hard contact. This non-call cost
the Explorers a possible victory. Scagliotta's poor officiating
cost the Explorers a win in the February
19, 2005 game vs. UMass at Gola Arena last season.
Box
Score
Explorers Run Over Red Flash
12/28/05
by Hoops Tick
La
Salle Crushes Saint Francis Red Flash 85-55 After Close First
Half.
La
Salle (8-1) broke out to a 37-24 lead with 2:31 remaining
in the half. J.R. Enrighton of Saint Francis came out very
hot by making 15 of the Red Flash's first 24 points. The Red
Flash was able to cut the lead to 7 with 18:24 remaining in
the second half at 47-34. The Explorers then went on a 35-6
run to put the game away.
Steven Smith scored 16 points in just 27
minutes and left the game with 7:23 remaining and La Salle
comfortably ahead. Lewis Fadipe had a career
high 12 points in only 16 minutes. Jermaine Thomas
looked great with 14 points and 8 rebounds. Darnell
Harris (4 for 4 shooting for 12 points) and Paul
Johnson (5 for 5 shooting for 11 points) both had
perfect shooting from the field. Marshall Taylor
looked more comfortable as he had 9 points.
This was the largest margin of victory by the Explorers since
1990 when they defeated Manhattan 100-60 at the Philadelphia
Civic Center.
Attendance was very good for Christmas break at 2175.
Officials: Joe DeMayo, Joe Townsell and Murph Shapiro.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: B (Good job overall)
Notes on officials:Officials called a good game with nothing out
of the ordinary.
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Score
Hungrier Wildcats Prevail Over Weary Explorers
12/22/05
by Hoops Tick
La
Salle could not keep up with #3 Villanova in 98-57 Loss
The
Explorers started out on fire and built a 7-0 lead which forced
Villanova to call a timeout. Then La Salle built its' largest
lead at 11-3 on a Darnell Harris (15 points)
steal and layup. Villanova tied the score at 11. La Salle
tied the game at 17 with a little under 12 minutes remaining
in the half on a basket by Steven Smith (13
points, 8 rebounds). Smith scored his 1,550th point with under
4 minutes to go to bring La Salle to within 15 at 40-25. After
that it was almost all Villanova as Randy Foye (20 points)
and Allan Ray (21 points) hit a bunch of 3 pointers. Villanova
led 52-32 at the half. Paul Johnson had a
solid effort with 8 points.
In the second half it got ugly as the Explorers just could
not get enough energy to shutdown Villanova shooters. The
5 overtimes in the previous two games definitely was a negative
for the Explorers.
This memo to Comcast execs: ALL BIG 5 GAMES MUST BE TELEVISED
or you can cancel our cable. In a very strange move, the Big
East decided not to televise the game on ESPN+ and Comcast
failed to pick it up and put it on CN8 (which showed some
garbage shows that no one ever watches).
Officials: Jeff Clark, Ed Corbett and John Cahill.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: D (Below Average)
Notes on officials: The crew gets a "D"
overall and as individuals. The officiating crew missed two
blatant technicals when Will Sheridan of Villanova slapped
the backboard both times on two dunks in the first half when
the game was still within reach. As La Salle was about to
score on a break-away Jeff Clark made up a foul on Jermaine
Thomas (his 2nd) and Villanova scored a basket immediately
for a 16 point cushion. Later in the first half Tabby Cunningham
was pushed out of bounds without a call. In the second half
Randy Foye should have been ejected from the game for throwing
Paul Johnson to the floor with about 15 minutes remaining.
Box
Score
Explorers
Force Extra Session Before Wearing Out Panthers
12/20/05
by Hoops Tick
La
Salle beats Florida International Golden Panthers 70-61 in Overtime.
A
tired Explorers team erased a 16 point halftime deficit to force
overtime. In the overtime the Explorers outscored FIU 11-2. The
Explorers could not do anything to stop the Golden Panthers in
the first half. Florida International nearly put La Salle away
in the first half and lead 39-23 at the break.
The second half was a different story as the Explorers came out
and played team defense and more cohesion on offense. Steven
Smith (16 points, 9 boards, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2
blocks) cut the lead to 7 points with about 11 minutes remaining.
Then with around 10 minutes remaining ref John Hughes
(La Salle antagonist, see below) decides that Steven Smith deserved
a technical foul for a mild protest. The unwarranted technical
gave Steven his fourth foul and allowed FIU to build their lead
back to 11 points. Then Jermaine Thomas took
over with: 2 free throws to cut the lead to 6 points; a three
pointer to cut the lead to 53-50; a three pointer to put the Explorers
up 54-53 with 3:54 remaining. Mike St. John (13
points, 12 boards) then got a basket and a foul (fouling out Fuller
on FIU) to put the Explorers ahead 57-56. After a 3 pointer by
FIU, Steven Smith tied the score at 59. Darnell Harris
(12 points) had a half court shot at the buzzer that missed. Sherm
Diaz (11 points) was a major contributor at both ends
of the floor.
Elvis Lora scored 17 points for FIU.
With about 1 minute remaining in overtime, Gola arena erupted
into "Bring on Nova" chants. La Salle (7-0) takes on
#3 Villanova (7-0) on Thursday. It will be important for the Explorers
not to fall behind by more then a few points in the first half.
Villanova will be rested and hopefully rusty on Thursday. The
Explorers have momentum going into this Big 5 City Series game.
Attendance of 2,024 was excellent considering students are on
Christmas break.
Officials: John Hughes, Robert Donato and Larry Scirotto.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: D (Below Average)
Notes on officials: The crew gets a "D" overall
but John Hughes gets an "F" for this contest. This crazy
official gave our All-American candidate a bogus technical for
mildly protesting. He has cost La Salle a couple wins in the past
few years and needs to be PERMANENTLY REMOVED from division one
officiating. The technical forced coach Giannini
to sit Steven for 6 key minutes before returning with around 4
minutes remaining. Rob Donato gave Mike St. John
a phantom foul with around 9 minutes remaining. I think Donato
at least realized his mistake.
Box
Score
Explorers
Take 4 Overtimes To Defeat Blue Devils
12/18/05
by Hoops Tick
La
Salle Explorers 107, Central Connecticut State Blue Devils
106 - 4 OT
| at
New Britain,CT |
First
Half |
Second
Half |
1st
OT |
2nd
OT |
3rd
OT |
4th
OT |
Final |
| La
Salle |
38 |
28 |
6 |
11 |
10 |
14 |
107 |
| CCSU |
32 |
34 |
6 |
11 |
10 |
13 |
106 |
My
hands are still shaking as I am typing this. Darnell
Harris (16 points) missed his first free throw
and then sunk the last two of his three to give La Salle
an impossible 107-106 victory with no time remaining in
the fourth overtime. The Explorers (6-0) played sloppy on
offense at times and very pourous on defense at other times.
Yet, they found a way to snag a victory from the jaws of
defeat. Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain Connecticut will
never be the same after this game! This was the longest
game in Explorer basketball history.
4 Explorers fouled out of the contest: Tabby Cunningham
(9 points), Mike St. John (8 points),
Lewis Fadipe (4 rebounds in 17 minutes)
and Marshall Taylor.
Tristan
Blackwood led CCSU with 28 points on 7 for 11 shooting.
Marshall Taylor made his La Salle debut in the game.
He scored his first of 10 points with 4:20 left in first half
on a reverse layup to put the Explorers up 29-25. He
gave the Explorers 24 solid minutes. Paul
Johnson contributed 13 points in 34 minutes.
Jermaine
Thomas (10 points) was knocked to the floor and he
injured his knee (possible cramping) with 38.8 remaining in
the 4th OT.
And
by the way, Steven Smith was simply All-American
in this contest. He scored 41 points to go with 11 rebounds,
3 steals, a block and 6 assists in 59 minutes. He tied the game
at 83 with a clutch 3 pointer at the end of second OT. He took
the ball to the basket in the 4th OT and would not be denied
on a dunk to bring the Explorers with 2 at 104-102. Then down
106-102 with 20.9 seconds left, Smith drills a 3 pointer to
cut it to 106-105. With 5.2 seconds to go Javier Mojica was
not able to convert two free throws. Then Darnell brought the
ball upcourt and was fouled with no time remaining on a 3 point
attempt. CCSU
players were celebrating and Steven Smith sat on the floor dejected
and none had realized that Harris had been fouled. The ending
turned out to be great for Steven and the Explorers.
Officials: Bernard Clinton, Michael Marino and Renee Ruth.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: B (Good job overall)
Notes
on officials: There were some very strange off-the-ball calls
against both teams. I was going to give the officials an average
grade until I realized how many crews fail to call fouls in
the last 5 seconds of a game. They called the game down to the
last second like ALL officiating crews need to.
Box
Score
Explorers Pound Dukes
12/11/05
by Hoops Tick
Explorers
Survive Blood, Sweat and a "T" to Beat James Madison
Dukes 70-58
The
Explorers are 5-0 for the first time in eleven years and
remain one of only 20 teams still undefeated in Division
One basketball.
It
was a sloppy game from the start for both teams. There were
unforced turnovers and missed free throws as the Explorers
led 9-8 with 11:52 to go. The Explorers never trailed after
that point as they went on a 16-2 run sparked by Paul
Johnson and the defense to go up 25-10. The Explorers
lead at halftime was 37-19 as Tabby Cunningham drilled a
3 pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining in the half.
Paul Johnson continued to come up with big steals in the
second half. Steven Smith and Jermaine
Thomas both struggled from the field. All-American
candidate Steven Smith received a technical after picking
up very questionable third and fourth foul calls thus fouling
him out of the contest with over 7 minutes remaining (see
notes on officiating below for more information). Steven
had 10 points and 9 boards while Jermaine had 7 points.
Lewis Fadipe (10 points) was cut in the
forehead and received 4 stitches (more below). Coach Gianinni
was not happy with the sloppiness on offense but did think
it was a good defensive effort.
The rest of the team picked up the scoring as Tabby
Cunningham led with 13 points (with 2 steals) and
Darnell Harris (11 points), Paul
Johnson (9 points, 5 steals) and Mike St.
John (8 points, 6 boards) all played tough.
"The guys did a great job defensively" said assistant
coach Walt Fuller after the contest. La
Salle forced James Madison to commit 24 turnovers and held
them below 60 points.
Daniel
Freeman scored all 21 of his points in the second half for
James Madison.
Officials:
Bryan Kersey, Curtis Blair and Lee Jones.
Hoops
Tick Grade for Officials: D (Below Average)
Notes
on officials: Lee Jones needs to be terminated from officiating
at any paid level. He bought two obvious dives by JMU's
Freeman that resulted in the third and fourth fouls on All-American
candidate Steven Smith. When Smith correctly pointed out
that it was bogus after the fourth foul, he was ejected
from the game by Jones. Then Jones tried to make up for
"fouling out" Smith with over 4 minutes to go
by calling JMU for a phantom foul against Paul Johnson!
Jones was fortunate it was not a close game. This crew also
missed an obvious call in the first half where Lewis Fadipe
was hacked by a JMU player and was bleeding on the court.
Lewis required 4 stitches.
Box
Score
Explorers'
Smith Extinguishes Dragons in Classic
12/3/05
by Hoops Tick
La
Salle Wins Big 5 Classic Opener 62-50
The
Explorers (4-0) survived a 2 for 21 shooting drought to
open the first 10 minutes of the second half againt the
Drexel Dragons (3-5). The Explorers recovered to make 9
of 15 shots to close the final 10 minutes thanks to All-American
candidate Steven Smith. Jermaine
Thomas had 9 points and Mike St. John
had 9 points including a key 3 pointer and a tip-in basket
with 3:48 to go to put La Salle up 53-45. Paul Johnson
scored 6 points. Tabby Cunningham also
contributed with 6 points and 4 assists.
The Explorers led 35-27 at the half and never trailed in
the second half.
With 1:32 remaining in the game Steven Smith
(26 points and 15 rebounds) slammed home two and was fouled.
His free throw put the Explorers up 56-47 and put the game
out of reach for Drexel. "Steve filled his role, he
played very strong. He got us baskets when we needed them"
said coach John Giannini after the game.
"This is my first Big 5 [against a city team] win"
said Smith after the game. It most likely will not be his
last.
Frank Elegar led Drexel with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Dominick Mejia, Drexel's leading scorer, was held to just
9 points in 34 minutes by the Explorer defense.
Attendance
was good with the students and alums out in force.
Officials: Duke Edsall, Dwayne Gladden and Jamie Luckie.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: D (Below Average)
Notes on Officials: Officials did a poor job of recognizing
contact especially in the paint. In the first half Tabby Cunningham
was pushed to the floor and the ball went out of bounds and
they gave it to Drexel. Also in the first half, a Drexel player
who was pushed was called for traveling. In the second half
Paul Johnson was going in for an easy layup and got hammered
and yet no whistle and no points as the ball went to Drexel.
Smith was continually being pushed in the lane in the second
half.
Box
Score
Explorers
Level Mountaineers
11/30/05
by Hoops Tick
La
Salle Takes Easy Win Over Mount Saint Mary's Mountaineers
73-51
The
Explorers (3-0) played a good team game and shutdown Mount
Saint Mary's (1-3). The Explorers were led by seniors Steven
Smith (22 points, 7 boards) and Jermaine
Thomas (18 points, 7 boards).
Darnell Harris added 9 points. Paul
Johnson scored 6 points. Tabby Cunningham
injured his wrist at the end of the first half and did not
play at all in the second half.
Lewis Fadipe had an excellent game with 9
points and a career best 5 blocks to go along with 9 boards.
"Lewis is doing a great job, he does a lot after practice
to get ready for games as well" said assistant coach
Walt Fuller after the game.
Attendance was good with the students out in
force; 2274 total.
Officials:
Jeff Clark, Ron Tyburski and Terry Murphy
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: A (Superior)
Notes on Officials: They called a great game.
Box
Score
Explorers Soar Over Eagles
11/26/05
by Hoops Tick
Explorers
Defeat American Eagles 75-63 in Home Opener
The
Explorers (2-0) actually trailed at halftime 36-34 due to aggressive
play by American (0-3) and a few non-calls by the refs. However,
the Explorers were able to overcome this in the second half.
Jermaine Thomas scored all of his 14 points
in the second half as he was plagued by early foul trouble.
Paul Johnson had 10 points and 7 boards and
gave the Explorers energy in the first half. Paul was diving
on the floor getting on almost every loose ball. Tabby
Cunningham added 5 points to go along with 8 assists
and only 2 turnovers. Darnell Harris had 7
points. Mike St. John contributed with 6 points.
The star of the game was Steven Smith who had
31 points to with 13 rebounds. Steven played a great game despite
facing consistent double-teams. "Steve Smith really stepped
up" said assistant coach Walt Fuller after
the game.
American's
leading scorer coming into the game, Andre Ingram, was held
to 8 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 29 minutes by the Explorers
defense.
Attendance was good for students being away on Thanksgiving
break; total was 2,112.
Officials: Eric Anderson, George Harry and Jeff Janosik.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: D (Below Average)
Notes on Officials: There were at least 6 obvious non-calls
during the contest that were fouls. 5 of the 6 non-calls favored
American including an obvious one were Steven Smith went up
for a dunk and was pushed to the floor.
Box
Score
Steven
Smith No Longer Our "Secret" Weapon
11/21/05
by Hoops Tick
Word Has Gotten Out - Steven Smith Has Opportunity
to Win the National Player of the Year Award
The national media has finally
discovered what we have known for the past 3-plus years - that
Steven Smith is an outstanding player with
the rare ability to score (including from beyond the arc and
the line), rebound, defend (steals, blocked shots) as well as
find the open man. The A-10 Co-Player of the year last season
has his sights set on a winning season and post-season possibility.
He puts team goals ahead of any personal accomplishments. Steven
is on pace to become the sixth Explorer to reach 2,000 points.
He could be the fourth Explorer to win National Player of the
Year award.
Steven Smith
Dick Vitale from ESPN has stated that Steven
is an "All Rip Van Winkle" as one of college basketball's
top "sleepers". Doug Gottlieb wrote
for ESPN Insider about Smith that "He was very impressive
from 17 feet and in at the Chicago predraft camp, and if that
consistency expands to 20 feet, he will go from a borderline
first-rounder to a lock for the guaranteed money." Sports
Illustrated features Smith in the November 21 issue
as one of America's top players "Under the Radar."
Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News says that Steven
Smith is an "Explorer to Watch" in a recent November
issue.
This all should make for an exciting season for the Explorers
and Steven Smith.
Explorers Fetch Win From Retrievers
11/20/05 by Hoops Tick
La Salle Wins Opener 70-55 Over UMBC
Retrievers
Clutch free throw shooting was the
key to the win over the University of Maryland Baltimore
County Retrievers. The Explorers shot 24 of 30 from the
charity stripe in the second half and 76% for the game.
The Explorers were led by seniors Steven Smith
(15 points, 2 blocks, 2 assists, 2 steals and 9 boards)
and Jermaine Thomas with 17 points and
2 steals. Coach John Giannini had the team
prepared for the 2-3 zone defense which UMBC ran as well
as for the double-teams in the back court.
Jermaine Thomas
Darnell Harris had a solid game with 13
points and 5 rebounds. Tabby Cunningham
added 6 points with 2 assists. Lewis Fadipe
added 6 points on 3 of 5 shooting. Mike St. John
and Sherm Diaz added 3 points each.
Freshman
Paul Johnson had 7 points, 5 boards and
2 steals in his first game as an Explorer. "He brought
enthusiasm and energy to the rest of the team" said
assistant coach Walt Fuller after the game.
UMBC's
Brian Hodges had 17 points.
The team performed well for most of the first half and the latter
part of the second half. There was a stretch were UMBC was down
by 10 and scored 14 straight points. The Explorers realize that
this cannot happen against better teams. It was a good first
victory of the season and should be a confidence builder for
this Saturday's contest.
Officials: Fran Connolly, Jeffery Bryant and Rich Giallella.
Hoops Tick Grade for Officials: B (Good job overall)
Box
Score
