Explorers
Season Comes To Abrupt End With Poor Play Against Hawks
March
6,
2010
by Jack
Explorers Failure To Go Inside Against
Undersized Hawks And Lack Of Defensive Stops Ends Injury-Plagued
Season
This
regular season finale was supposed to be the joyous conclusion
to a 20 or more win regular season. No one could have envisioned
the season ending injury to Ruben Giullandeaux nor
the season shortening injuries to Yves Mbala or Kimmani
Barrett. Both Barrett (15 points) and Mbala (8 points)
returned for the game but neither were able to play the defense
(due to
only
having
one practice since each was injured) we had seen them play earlier
in the season. The Explorers (12-18, 4-12)
failed
to
use their height advantage in the paint
or their defensive aggressiveness to force the lowly Saint Joseph's
Hawks (11-19, 5-11) into turning the ball over. Rodney
Green (12
points and 1,914 for his career) finally ran out of energy and
was unable to lift the Explorers to a win in this game. Green
played out of his normal position most of his career at La Salle
- he is not a true point guard. It definitely hurt that the game
was against their Big 5 rival Hawks.
The Explorers
lost the opportunity to gain entry into the A10 Tournament field
with their upset loss to Saint Joe's combined with Rhode Island's
upset loss to UMass. Had UMass lost, the Explorers would have
captured the 12th seed. The worst case scenario played out shortly
after dropping the game to the Hawks.
Aaric
Murray contributed 6 points,
9 boards in 26 minutes. Jerrell
Williams chipped in with 9 points.
The one certainy for next season is that the guard play will be much improved as there will be two top guards with high basketball IQs running the show for La Salle.
Saint
Joseph's 74, La Salle 59 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Kimmani
Barrett.
Explorer Top Performer
of the Year: Rodney Green (15
time Top Performer). Murray was
Top Performer 6 times followed
by Barrett (4), Weingarten (3)
and Jerrell Williams (2).
LaSalle shot 40% from the field on 21 for 52 (and 33%
from beyond the arc on 10 for 30) and 70% from
the foul line (7 for 10).
Officials: George
Harry, Jeff Janosik and Joe Townsell.
The crew allowed the Hawks to get away with contact
but the Explorers never forced the issue in the paint.
Grade for Officials: C (Average)
Box
Score
Green
Provides Senior Leadership In Victory
March
3,
2010
by Jack
Explorers Senior Scores 30 Points
To Reach 1,900 Points For Career
The
short-handed Explorers (12-17,
4-11) broke an eight-game losing streak and bolstered
their chances to make the A10 Tournament field of 12 teams. The
Massachusetts Minutemen (10-19, 4-11) saw their final lead of
the night at 9-6. Jerrell Williams (14 points,
8 boards, 9 assists and 3 steals) quickly erased that deficit
by burying a trey and then making a steal
and a
layup. Rodney
Green (13
points at the half) saved his best home game for his last home
game.
Aaric
Murray contributed 13 points,
7 boards and 2 blocks. Devon White (8 points,
8 boards, 3 steals and a block) helped keep UMass out of the
paint. The Explorers were threatened in the second half but
Steve Weingarten (13 points) and TT
Carey (5 points) scored
important points when the lead was cut to 4 at 63-59. The Explorers
finished out the game and the team can be confident in their
prepartion to play Saint Joe's on Saturday.
La
Salle 89, Massachusetts 78 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Rodney
Green.
LaSalle shot 50% from the field on 28 for 56 (and 36%
from beyond the arc on 5 for 14) and 74% from
the foul line (28 for 38).
Next
Game: The Explorers visit the Saint Joe's Hawks on Saturday
March 6 at 4pm and is a regional game televised on CSN.
The Explorers can claim 11th place with a win. If UMass
loses
to Rhode
Island
on Saturday
then
the Explorers will be guaranteed a spot in the A10 Tournament.
Kimmani Barrett and Yves Mbala are expected to return to the lineup on Saturday.
Officials: Brian
Dorsey,
Alvin Cox and Frank Scagliotta.
Alvin Cox missed a shirt pull by UMass player against
Jerrell Williams and an obvious over-and-back call by UMass
in the second half. Cox also called Devon White for
a foul when he tangled with a UMass player but it just should
have been a warning against both players. Cox earns a "F"
but Dorsey and Scagliotta (trying to impress Commish McGlade
who was in attendance) earn a "B".
Grade for Officials: C (Average)
Box
Score
Explorers
Battle #18 Temple But Offense Sputters
February
28, 2010
by Chinkster
Devon White (#14) rejects Temple's Michael Eric.
Explorers Offense Absent for Almost
6 Minutes to Start Second Half
The
injured La Salle Explorers (11-17,
3-11) continue to fight but could not overcome their
own six minute second half scoring drought against the
Temple Owls (24-5, 12-2) in a Big 5 game that decided the City
Series Championship. The Explorers could be where #18 Temple
is today if they had not suffered three key injuries. Rodney
Green (21
points, 6 assists and 2 steals) propelled La Salle to a 33-32
lead at the break.
Jerrell
Williams contributed
17 points and 5 rebounds. Aaric
Murray had
10 points, 3 boards and a block. Devon White (2 points,
9 boards, 2 steals and a block) had a solid defensive outing.
Temple
65,
La Salle 53 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Rodney
Green.
LaSalle shot 41% from the field on 24 for 59 (and 21%
from beyond the arc on 4 for 19) and 25% from
the foul line (1 for 4).
Next
Game: The Explorers host UMass
on Senior Night Wednesday March
3 at 7pm. Yves Mbala, Kimmani
Barrett and Rodney Green
will be honored.
Officials: John
Cahill, Pat Driscoll and Michael
Stephens.
The crew allowed a lot of physical play on
both sides.
Grade for Officials: C (Average)
Box
Score
Explorers
Beaten By Missed Opportunities Against GW
February
24, 2010
by BK Seginsda
Explorers Forced Treys And Missed
Free Throws Are Costly
The
injured La Salle Explorers (11-16,
3-10) did not receive any help from the George Washington
Colonials (15-11, 5-8). The Explorers shot far too many treys
(26) and made only 6 which can kill any chance for winning a
game. Rodney Green (21 points, 5 assists) gave
the Explorers an opportunity to win as he hit a trey with 11:56
remaining
in
the
game to give
La Salle
a 6 point lead (56-49). The Explorers continued to battle as Aaric
Murray
(16 points, 9 boards and 2 blocks) hit a short jumper for a 60-56
lead with 9:24 left. However, the defense became non-existant
and the
offense
stagnant
down the stretch.
Steve Weingarten played
well for the most part in contributing 10 points and 2
boards. Jerrell
Williams had another double-double with
13 points to go with 16 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal. Parish
Grant contributed
8 points, 3 assists and 2 steals. The Explorers
trailed 35-31 at the
break.
George
Washington 81,
La Salle 72 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Rodney
Green.
LaSalle shot 41% from the field on 27 for 66 (and 23%
from beyond the arc on 6 for 26) and 55% from
the foul line (12 for 22).
Next
Game: The Explorers host Temple
on Sunday February 28 at
2pm in a Big 5 game.
Officials: Joe
DeMayo, Frank Spencer and Ron
Tyburski.
The crew made too many calls including some where
there was little or no contact.
Grade for Officials: C (Average)
Box
Score
Undisciplined
Play Costs Explorers Against Bonnies
February
21, 2010
by Chinkster
Green Forced 22 Shots And Made Just
5. Explorers Cannot Win Without Disciplined Play
The
short-handed La Salle Explorers (11-15,
3-9) must play with confidence and discipline if they
expect to beat any team remaining on the the schedule. The
Saint Bonaventure Bonnies (11-14, 4-8) were handed the game and
they took advantage of it. Rodney Green missed
17 shots (0 for 8 on 3-point attempts and just 1 for 6 from the
foul line) which can't happen if the Explorers have a shot at
winning. Aaric
Murray
fouled
out
in 33 minutes with 5 blocks and 13 points on 5 for 17 shooting.
Only two players played with confidence and discipline. Steve
Weingarten had
the best game of his career with 18 points, 17 boards,
3 assists, one steal and
a
block in 40 solid minutes. Jerrell Williams scored
13 points to go with 14 rebounds and 2 blocks to go with 2 steals.
TT
Carey contributed 8
points in 22 minutes. The Explorers trailed 36-34 at the
break. In the second half the Explorers failed to played
defense and it cost them the victory.
Saint
Bonaventure 77,
La Salle 66 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Steve
Weingarten.
LaSalle shot 35% from the field on 25 for 71 (and 19%
from beyond the arc on 4 for 21) and 44% from
the foul line (12 for 27).
Next
Game: The Explorers travel to George Washington
on Wednesday February 24 at
7pm.
Officials: Jeff
Clark, Raymond Styons and Bryan
Kersey.
The crew did not make any obvious mistakes.
Grade for Officials: C (Average)
Box
Score
Uncalled
Headbutt By Dayton Swings Momentum of Game Against La Salle
February
18, 2010
by Jack
Kurt Huelsman of Dayton Gave Jerrell
Williams a Backwards Headbutt When Jerrell Was on The
Floor; No Technical Was Called
The
Explorers (11-14,
3-8) battled with the Dayton Flyers (18-7, 7-4) for most
of the game. Dayton was able to steal the momentum when Huelsman
intentionally headbutted Jerrell Williams (9
points, 11 boards) with 9:47 remaining in the game. Dayton
was ahead 47-45 at the time.
Jerrell was
forced to sit on the bench due to the injury for over 2 minutes
and La Salle was outscored 9-4 during this key stretch. The
refs (Roger Ayers, Mike Kitts and Joe Lindsay) should have
whistled Huelsman for a technical foul and the Explorers should
have
received 2 free throws and the ball.
The Explorers tied the
score at 49 but the fact that they lost Jerrell really
hurt them.
The game was called correctly from an officiating standpoint up to and after
that but the fact that they failed to call this is unacceptable.
Steve
Weingarten (7 points, 12 boards) and Jerrell played
very well. Rodney
Green (16 points on 23 shots,
8 boards) also had some very good plays. TT Carey (8
points on 3 for 5 shooting) needs to get more playing time
as he is
becoming an outside threat. Devon White had 4 points on
4 shots, 4 rebounds and 4 blocks.
Dayton
68, La Salle 54 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Steve
Weingarten.
LaSalle shot 34% from the field on 22 for 64 (and 21%
from beyond the arc on 5 for 24) and 56% from
the foul line (5 for 9). 21 turnovers hurt but
having Aaric Murray (9 points on 16 shots, 5 boards) launch 11 treys was totally
unacceptable.
Next
Game: The Explorers host Saint Bonaventure at 4pm
on Sunday February 21.
Officials: Roger
Ayers, Mike Kitts and Joe Lindsay .
The crew did a very good job except for the missed
headbutt which was a possible game-changer as Williams was
injured on the play. This causes the crew to receive a less
then average rating as they have to whistle that kind of
conduct on the court.
Grade for Officials: D (Below Average)
Box
Score
Injury-Riddled
Explorers Battle Dukes Before Dropping Decision
February
14, 2010
by Jack
Explorers Built 14 Point First
Half Lead Before Running Out of Steam
The
Explorers (11-13,
3-7) were amazingly able to build a 41-27 lead even though Aaric
Murray (13 points, 7 boards) and Rodney
Green (27
points, 9 boards) each were called for questionable second
personal fouls (more
under officiating section).
The Explorers were outscored 22-8 for the remainder of
the half as the Duquesne Dukes (13-12, 4-7) tied the
score at 49.
In the second half the Explorers had a couple of long stretches of not scoring
and could not overcome that. The Dukes took advantage of the short bench of
the Explorers.
Duquesne
103, La Salle 82 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Rodney
Green.
LaSalle shot 44% from the field on 30 for 69 (and 31%
from beyond the arc on 4 for 13) and 69% from
the foul line (18 for 26). 28 turnovers hurt as
well. Yves
Mbala will
miss some time due to surgery on his hand.
Next
Game: The Explorers travel to Dayton at 7pm on Thursday
February 18.
Officials: D.J.
Carstensen, Joe Townsell, Brian Dorsey.
Townsell whistled Murray for his second foul because
he was "close to a Dukes player" who fell down. Carstensen
called Green for his second foul that caught everyone by
surprise. The crew was whistle-happy in a game where they
knew the Explorers were extremely short-handed with just
7 scholarship players - they fouled out 3 Explorers to none
for the Dukes.
Grade for Officials: F (Failure) Due to incompetence
Box
Score
Explorers Again See Opponents Bailed Out By Officiating
February 6,
2010
by Jack
Explorers Lose On Bail-out Call With 54.9 Remaining
Ref Alvin Cox Calls Yves Mbala Mekongo (#12) for a Foul
Even Though No Contact Was Made By Mekongo
La
Salle (11-12, 3-6) was leading the Saint Louis Billikens
(14-8, 5-3) 65-64. The clock showed 56.0 seconds (see photo
above) when Saint Louis player Kwamain Mitchell was in
the air with the ball.
Clearly Yves
Mbala (number
12) did not touch him. Mitchell generated contact with
his right leg on Yves. Both Yves and Aaric Murray (#24)
went for the rebound after Mitchell started to fall to
the ground and then a late whistle was heard from baseline
official Alvin Cox at 54.9 seconds with Mitchell laying
on the floor. What did ref Cox see that Yves did that no
one else saw;
remember Cox had one of the best vantage points. Yves was
angry with the call but could not risk a technical at this point
in the game. Mitchell hit both free throws in what became
the deciding
points of the game. Steve Lappas, who did the color commentary
on the televised regional game on CBS College Sports, pointed
out that it was not even close to being a foul.
Previously in the second half, Jerrell Williams (21
points - 13 in the second half, 7 boards) was called for
3 very questionable calls; this was also mentioned by Lappas.
At 14:28 a call came from ref Jeff Janosik that surprised
everyone including Jerrell. Then Cox put Saint Louis in
the bonus with 10:24 remaining on a touch foul, something
that was not called the entire game, against Williams.
At 9:40 it was Cox who called him for a foul when he was
on the floor and a Saint Louis player stepped backwards
with the ball and fell on him!
In the first
half it was Murray who had two quick calls against him.
Doctor G was irate especially at the second call. Cox
made the call when Murray's man bumped into him. Saint
Louis coach Rick Majerus knew Murray would have to sit
for awhile and this changed the game. Coach John
Giannini has been victimized
by corrupt officiating for the third straight game. I'd
like to see the FBI investigate college basketball officiating.
It is obvious to me that many games are being fixed.
Saint
Louis 68,
La Salle 65 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Jerrell Williams.
LaSalle
shot 42% from the field on 22 for 52 (and
15% from beyond
the arc on 2 for 13) and 83% from
the foul line (19 for 23). Yves
scored his 1,000th point in the game to become the 48th Explorer
to do so.
Next
Game: The Explorers travel to Duquesne at 2pm on Sunday
February 14.
Officials: Alvin
Cox ,David Walker and Jeff Janosik .
Cox earns a "F", Janosik earns a "D" and Walker
a "C".
Grade for Officials: D
(Below Average)
Box
Score
Explorers Can't Shoot Down Rhode Island Rams Nor
Overcome Corrupt Officiating
February 2,
2010
by BK Seginsda
Explorers Drop Game to Rhodey After Disgraceful
Officiating
It
was a scenario right out of the movie "Groundhog Day".
The officials were different but the results were the
same... the opposition travels and no calls were made,
the Explorers don't travel and a call is made! The
La Salle Explorers (11-11, 3-5
in A-10) need to file a protest with the NCAA as the refs
intentionally made incorrect calls as anyone who attended
the game can
testify. Rodney
Green
(22 points, 12 boards in 36 minutes) got hammered with
the score 20-14 and no call was made but Aaric
Murray (18 points and 4 boards) was called for a questionable
foul on the other end without hesitation by ref Karl Hess.
Orion Outerbridge of Rhode Island took 4 steps (starting
above the free throw
line) with the ball and dunked it to make the score 29-18
and the Gola Arena crowd was outraged and loudly protested
the obvious missed travelling violation but that didn't stop
these refs. Parrish
Grant (had a career-best 16 points on 6 for 7 shooting) connected
on a trey to cut the lead to 31-21 and was knocked to the
floor and no foul was called. Later with 5:47 remaining,
Jerrell Williams (13 points, 4 steals) was called
for a foul on an obvious flop by a Rhode Island player and
then at 4:37 remaining
Yves Mbala (8 points, 7 boards) was hit in the eye
on a rebound (he was a bit stunned and immediately grabbed
his eye) but no call was made. All this happened in the first
half of play. Rhode Island was so aggressive since they knew
the officials would not call anything against them and had
just 2 turnovers due to the horrendous officiating. Rhode
Island Rams (18-3, 6-2) coach Jim
Baron was smiling and gave the refs a wink as he walked off
at halftime. La Salle trailed at the break 53-41.
The second
half saw another obvious missed travel against Rhode
Island with 7:25 remaining. This was immediately followed
by Green being fouled hard and no call made and then
Rhode Island's Delroy James shoving Parrish Grant and
no call was made so Devon White was forced to step in,
luckily without incident. Later Karl Hess made
a travel call against Green but Rodney saw he was starting to
slip and dished the ball off to a teammate but all Hess
saw was him sliding in the lane. This was at a critical
juncture of the game as La Salle would have had the opportunity
for a layup and could have pulled within a point at 75-74.
Instead Rhode Island was awarded the ball and then Keith
Cothran of Rhode Island blatantly traveled in the lane
(no call was made) and coverted the jumper for a 77-72
lead with 4:29 remaining. The Explorers continued to
battle and cut the lead to 82-79 on a Grant trey with
1:46 remaining. Stevie Mejia of Rhode Island was bailed
out by Kersey on a bogus foul called on Murray with 56.8
seconds remaining. Mejia's shot hit the backside of the
backboard and should have been ruled a turnover against
Rhode Island. Instead Mejia made the game clinching free
throws. Coach John Giannini has been victimized by corrupt
officiating for the second straight game.
Rhode
Island 90, La Salle 83 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Rodney Green.
LaSalle
shot 49% from the field on 33 for 67 (and
54% from beyond
the arc on 7 for 13) and 71% from
the foul line (10 for 14).
Next
Game: The Explorers host Saint Louis at 4pm on Saturday
February 6.
Officials: Bryan
Kersey, Karl Hess and Bob Donato.
Bryan Kersey, Karl Hess and Bob Donato are all veteran
officials. The NCAA really needs to launch
an investigation against the A10 Office including McGlade
for fixing games so "highly rated" teams have a chance to
earn post-season bids. This is worse then the fixing of games
by NBA refs including Tim Donaghy.
Grade for Officials: F
(Failure) Due to Incompetence and Corruption
Grade
for A10 Commissioner McGlade: F (Failure) Due to Gross Negligence
Here
is the proof of the Officiating Corruption:
La Salle has the video of this game as it was
available via webcast.
Listen to RedZone Media Coverage: http://www.redzonemedia.com/viewschedule.asp?sportID=2&SchoolID=129
Box
Score
Murray Wins 3rd ROW
January 31, 2010
Aaric
Murray has been named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of
the Week. Murray
averaged 17.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game to earn his
third rookie honor of the season.
The 6-foot-10 center scored a career-high 24 points on
Wednesday in an 80-73 victory at Fordham. It was the fourth
time in the previous seven games that he had set a new
career-high in points. He shot 9-for-18 from the floor
and blocked four shots. On Saturday at Temple, Murray battled foul trouble to
score 11 points in a 64-52 loss to the #15 Owls.
Explorers Can't Shoot Down #15 Temple Owls Nor
Overcome Corrupt Officiating
January 30,
2010
by BK Seginsda
Explorers Drop Game to Temple After Disgraceful
Officiating
The
La Salle Explorers (11-10, 3-4 in A-10) built a 7-2 lead.
La Salle battled throughout the first half but Aaric
Murray (11
points, 4 boards and 2 steals in 25 minutes) was whistled
for two fouls in the first 14:45 of the half which gave Temple
a huge advantage. Parrish Grant got leveled by Temple in
a desperation heave at the buzzer and of course there was
no foul called. La Salle trailed at the break 30-24.
The second
half start was sluggish for La Salle. The Temple Owls
(18-4, 6-1) built a 38-24 lead before Murray made five
consecutive points. Rodney
Green (13
points, 5 assists) played the entire game but missed
far too many shots in shooting 5 for 16. Jerrell Williams missed
7 shots and Yves
Mbala missed 9 shots. Some of
this was due to bad officiating which allowed Temple
to grab and hack the Explorers in the lane (see officiating
section below). Steve Weingarten (8
points on 3 for 3 shooting in 20 minutes) was
solid and played tough every minute he was on the court.
At 15:15 remaining LaVoy Allen from Temple pushed
Weingarten out of the way to get a rebound and when Steve pushed
back he was immediately whistled for his fourth by Scagliotta.
The fouls at this point in the game were 10 against La
Salle and just 2 against Temple. Weingarten hit a trey
to cut the lead to 40-34 with 14:26 left but the officials
ensured La Salle would get no closer the rest of way.
Temple
64, La Salle 52 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Steve Weingarten.
LaSalle
shot 30% from the field on 17 for 57 (and
32% from beyond
the arc on 6 for 19) and 86% from
the foul line (12 for 14).
Next
Game: The Explorers host Rhode Island at 7pm on Tuesday
February 2.
Officials: Ray Perone, John Gwynn and Frank Scagliotta.
The Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette
McGlade should be forced to resign
for assigning two of the worst rated
officials
to officiate in a nationally televised game on ESPN2. Perone
and Scagliotta have intentionally made bad calls against
La Salle in previous years and Perone
and Scagliotta should
have been removed from the Atlantic 10 officiating rotation
years ago. Gwynn was one of the best officials but
he was somehow corrupted by both Perone and Scagliotta and/or
someone from the league office. In the first
half Gwynn called Weingarten for a foul he didn't commit.
Later
in the
half
Perone called
Green for a very questionable call but did not call the Temple
players who knocked over Grant on a first-half buzzer-beater
attempt. The officials put the Explorers in such a hole that
they
had no chance to win this game. The NCAA needs to launch
an investigation against the A10 Office including McGlade.
Grade for Officials: F
(Failure) Due to Incompetence and Corruption
Grade
for A10 Commissioner McGlade: F (Failure) Due to Gross Negligence
Here
is the proof of the Officiating Corruption:
Watch
Replay (trying to get ESPN to re-post, it is the only
game from Saturday that is missing): http://sports-att.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=300300218
Listen to RedZone Media Coverage: http://www.redzonemedia.com/viewschedule.asp?sportID=2&SchoolID=129
Box
Score
24 by 24 Propels Explorers To Victory Over Rams
January 27,
2010
by Chinkster
Murray Scores 24 In Win Over Fordham
The
Explorers (11-9, 3-3 in A-10) trailed throughout the first
half despite the best efforts of Aaric
Murray (15
points, 5 boards and 2 blocks in 17 minutes of the first half).
La Salle trailed at the break 38-35 as Fordham hit a trey with
5 seconds left in the half.
The Fordham
Rams (2-17, 0-7) have struggled at the free throw line
all season but, of course, tonight they were nearly perfect
in converting 14 of 16. Rodney Green (16 points, 7
boards) got off to a very slow start but finished strong.
He hit a pair of free throws to put La Salle ahead for
good at 57-55. The Explorers built a 70-59 lead and then a series of
strange events occured. Chris Gaston of Fordham not only
hung on the rim for over 5 seconds but took his right
hand and interfered with a ball on the rim. The officials
correctly called offensive goaltending but missed the
automatic technical that goes with hanging on the rim
for that long. Green then was called for holding the
ball for more then 5 seconds and then made a turnover
on the next possesion. Fordham cut the lead to 74-70.
Jerrell Williams (19 points, 4 rebounds) made the
critical front-end of a one-and-one and then the second
for a 76-70 lead with 2:14 remaining. Parrish Grant (4
points and 3 assists in 37 minutes) was later fouled with
the score at 76-73. He was able to convert the crucial
one-and-one and push the lead to 78-73 with 35 seconds
remaining.
Yves Mbala chipped in with 11 points
and 6 rebounds but missed a couple of easy layups. Murray
finished with 24 points, 7 boards and 4 blocks for the contest
and is carrying the team.
La
Salle 80, Fordham 73 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.
LaSalle
shot 56% from the field on 31 for 55 (and
43% from beyond
the arc on 3 for 7) and 75% from
the foul line (15 for 20).
Next
Game: The Explorers travel to Temple for a 12pm ESPN2 game
on Saturday January 30.
Officials:
Robert Donato, Dwayne Gladden and Larry Scirotto.
Bob Donato, who earns a "B" tried to correct a blatantly
incorrect call at 9:19 by Scirotto as a Fordham player was
clearly not in "act
of shooting" and Green pointed that out to Donato who went
over
and talked
to Scirotto. Scirotto would not listen to reason and Fordham
was allowed to take the 2 free throws. Gladden also made
incorrect calls including a very critical one when a Fordham
player lost the ball and fell to the ground. Bob Donato was
right in front of the play and did not make a call but for
some reason Gladden made his phantom call from across the
court. Gladden had earlier made a bad call against Yves on
an obvious flop by a Fordham player. Scirotto should be removed
from the officiating profession and earns a "F". Gladden
also earns a "F". Donato called the game properly except
for the missed technical for hanging on the rim and unfortunately
was teamed with two disgustingly inept refs.
Grade for Officials: D
(Below Average)
Box
Score
Explorers
Can't Get Through Wilderness
January 23,
2010
by Chinkster
Short-handed Explorers Lose On Buzzer-Beater
By An'Juan Wilderness
The
La Salle Explorers (10-9,
2-3 in A-10) nearly pulled out the game but Aaric Murray (10
points, 6 boards in 16 minutes) lost the ball out of bounds
at the base line with 4.5 seconds left on a tipped pass and
the score tied at 82. The Charlotte 49ers (14-5, 4-1) were fortunate
that a desperation heave by
An'Juan Wilderness connected and that there was no instant
replay available to
the officials as it was questionable whether he released the
ball before the clock expired.
Kimmani
Barrett will have surgery to repair
a fractured bone in his right foot and could miss six to eight
weeks. Barrett was averaging 13.3 points per game in 15 starts
and became the
47th Explorer to reach 1,000 points versus Oklahoma State this
season. Steve
Weingarten got the start and contributed 2 points, 3 assists
and 3 boards in 18 minutes. Rodney
Green had a career-best 32 points and
5 boards in 37 minutes. Murray was limited in playing time
due to foul trouble. Jerrell
Williams contributed 8 points, 7 boards, 9 assists and 1 steal
in 37 minutes. Yves Mbala had 20 points and 8 boards
in 37 minutes. Devon White earned more playing time with a
4 for 4 shooting performance to go with 4 rebounds, 3 blocks
and a steal in 24 minutes.
Bill "Speedy" Morris and
members of the 1989-90 team that went 30-2 were honored at
halftime. Lionel Simmons was amongst those honored.
Charlotte
84, La Salle 82 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Rodney Green.
LaSalle
shot 48% from the field on 29 for 60 (and
44% from beyond
the arc on 8 for 18) and 70% from
the foul line (16 for 23).
Next
Game: The Explorers travel to Fordham for a 7pm contest
on Wednesday January 27.
Officials:
Ken Clark Jr, Joe Demayo and Gary Prager.
The crew made bad calls at critical times during
the game. The second consecutive foul call on Murray changed
the game and Aaric never got into full rythym as Doctor G
was forced to substitute White for him.
Grade for Officials: D
(Below Average)
Box
Score
Explorers
Offense Too Much For Quakers
January 20,
2010
by Jack
Explorers Pull Rare Buzzer-Beater Treys To End
Both Halves
The
Explorers (10-8,
2-2 in A-10) never trailed against the lowly Pennsylvania Quakers
(1-12). Kimmani
Barrett was wearing a boot for his injured
ankle but could be ready to play in the next game.
Steve Weingarten got the start and contributed 9 points
and 8 boards in 36 minutes but had 5 turnovers. Rodney
Green was more assertive in this game and had 15 points and
6 assists in 38 minutes. Aaric
Murray pumped in 21 points (including an "excuse me" trey to
close the game) to go with 7 boards and 3 blocks. Jerrell
Williams played
well with 13 points, 7 boards, and 3 steals
in 33 minutes. Yves Mbala had 14 points, including a buzzer
beating trey to end the first half, and 3 assists.
The Explorers
led at the break 39-26. The Quakers pulled to within
5 at 53-48 but La Salle went on a 9-0 run to put the
game out of reach for Penn.
La
Salle 76, Penn 57 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.
LaSalle
shot 57% from the field on 26 for 46 (and
60% from beyond
the arc on 6 for 10) and 90% from the foul line
(18 for 20).
Next
Game: The Explorers host Charlotte at 2pm on Saturday
January 23. Bill "Speedy" Morris will be inducted into
the Explorer Hall of Fame and members of the 1989-90
team
that went
30-2 will be present.
Officials:
George Harry, Kenneth Clark Jr and Michael McCloskey.
The crew called the game as it played out but missed
a foul against Penn when Green was hit in the face hard enough
that Harry blew the whistle to allow him to regroup.
Grade for Officials: C
(Average)
Box
Score
Murray Wins A10 ROW
January 17, 2010
Freshman Aaric Murray, who averaged 19.0 points and 9.3
rebounds in three games this week, has been named the Atlantic
10 Rookie of the Week. Murray set career-highs in points
(21) and rebounds (15)
during the week to earn A-10 honors for the second time
in his career.
Aaric averaged 3.3 blocks per game as
the Explorers won two of three contests. For the season
Murray is averaging 11.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for
La Salle.
Explorers
Spray For Spiders But Fail To Escape Web
January 16,
2010
by Jack
Explorers Cannot Defend Paint Against Richmond
Spiders
La
Salle (9-8,
2-2 in A-10) lost a game they should have won against the Richmond
Spiders (14-5, 3-1). The Explorers
were still missing Kimmani
Barrett (injured
ankle), Terrell
Williams (disciplinary action for
University violations for the remainder of the spring semester)
and Ruben
Guillandeaux who
is still nursing a foot injury. TT Carey started and did not
disappoint in his home state (2 for 2 on field goal attempts
and 2 for 3 on free throws for 6 points in 8 minutes of play). Rodney
Green, who was still under the weather, scored 10 points and
5 rebounds in 38 minutes. Aaric Murray had
a double-double with 19 points and
15 boards and 4 blocks in 36 minutes and is starting to show
his dominance on the court. Jerrell Williams played
well with 14 points, 5 boards, 6 assists and a steal in 33
minutes.
The Explorers
failed to defend the paint effectively as Richmond
had too many easy inside layups which cannot happen if
they expect to win.
Richmond
67, La Salle 63 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.
LaSalle
shot 46% from the field on 26 for 57 (and
11% from beyond
the arc on 1 for 9) and 71% from the foul line
(10 for 14).
Next
Game: The Explorers visit Penn at 7pm on Wednesday
January 20.
Officials:
Jeff Clark, Gene Steratore and John Gwynn.
The crew did a good job and it is rare that we get
such a good crew for a weekend contest in the A10.
Grade for Officials: B
(Above Average)
Box
Score
Short-handed
Explorers Escape Against GW
January 13,
2010
by Jack
La Salle Survives Against Tough Colonials
The
Explorers (9-7, 2-1 in A-10) defeated the George Washington
Colonials (11-5, 1-2). The Explorers were missing Kimmani Barrett (injured
ankle), Terrell
Williams (disciplinary action for
1 game) and Ruben Guillandeaux who is still nursing
a foot injury. What the Explorers discovered is that Parrish
Grant can play point guard (6 assists to 1 turnover, 2
steals and 2 points in 32 minutes). Rodney
Green, who was battling a cold, contributed
15 points and 3 assists in 38 minutes. Aaric Murray had
a good game in contributing a career best 21 points to go with
3 boards and 2 blocks. Yves
Mbala had 19
points, 4 boards and a steal but nearly cost the Explorers
the game at the end.
Jerrell
Williams (2 points, 4 turnovers and
9 boards in 22 minutes) sank two important free throws
with 1:14 remaining to give La Salle a 65-60 advantage.
Then Williams foolishly fouled near mid-court with
1:08 remaining sending GW
to the foul line. GW sank two free throws for a 65-62
advantage. GW then converted a basket with 8.4 seconds
remaining. All La Salle needed to do was successfully
inbound the ball. Yves replaced Grant as the inbounder.
Yves was whistled for a 5 second
violation after he tried to signal for a timeout after
nearly 5 seconds passed. GW was awarded the ball. GW
settled for a three-point jumper that missed. The Explorers
escaped with a victory.
La
Salle 65, George Washington 64 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.
LaSalle
shot 46% from the field on 24 for 52 (and
29% from beyond
the arc on 4 for 14) and 65% from the foul line
(13 for 20).
Next
Game: The Explorers visit Richmond at 4pm on Saturday
January 16 on CSN.
Officials:
Bo Boroski, Donald Eppley and DJ Carstensen.
The crew made a few questionable calls against
the Explorers in the first half. They did give the Explorers
a couple calls in the second half.
Grade for Officials: C
(Average)
Box
Score
Explorers
Beat Minutemen in Springfield
January 10,
2010
by Chinkster
La Salle Erases 7 Point Halftime Deficit To Pull
Out Victory in Hostile Territory
The
Explorers (8-7, 1-1 in A-10) defeated the Massachusetts Minutemen
(7-8, 1-1). Rodney Green contributed 17 points and
12 assists. Aaric Murray had a very good performance
in contributing 18 points, 9 boards and 4 huge blocks. Yves
Mbala is finally starting to play well and he contributed 17
points, 2 steals and a block. After closing the first half
trailing 37-30, La Salle decided that they could pull this
one out after halftime. The Explorers opened the second half
on a 13-2 run which include a couple of key baskets by Steve
Weingarten (10 points and 8 boards in 22 minutes) for a 43-39
lead. Jerrell Williams (7 points and 12 boards) made
some clutch baskets and free throws down the stretch as well
as provided solid defense.
Kimmani
Barrett (6
points and a steal in 24 minutes) injured his ankle and did not
play for most of the second half.
La Salle 80, UMass 74 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.
LaSalle
shot 45% from the field on 26 for 58 (and
36% from beyond
the arc on 5 for 14) and 68% from the foul line
(23 for 34).
Next
Game: The Explorers host George Washington at 7pm on Wednesday
January 13.
Officials:
James Breeding, Pat Driscoll and Joe Lindsay.
The crew called the game as it played out and sent
the Explorers to the line when they were fouled. They also
adjusted the incorrect scoreboard when it showed 50-50, the
actual score was 51-50 and La Salle was given the point they
had earned.
Grade for Officials: C
(Average)
Box
Score
Explorers
Show Second Effort But X Marks The Spot
January 7,
2010
by BK Seginsda
La Salle Erases 18 Point Second Half Deficit But
Fails To Finish
The
La Salle Explorers (7-7, 0-1 in A-10) continue to frustrate
their fan base. The national tv audience had to be in shock
when Xavier (9-5, 1-0) surrendered an 18 point lead in
less then 14 minutes. Xavier led 48-26 with 17:36 remaining
in the second half. Xavier had a 56-40 lead with 11:08
left but then went on a huge drought. Rodney Green (20
points) tied the score at 56 with 4:04 remaining. Xavier
finally made a couple of free throws with 3:37 left. Yves Mbala (10
points) made a layup and was fouled with 2:49 remaining.
His hoop tied the score at 60 and his free throw would
give the Explorers their first second half lead except
that he missed. Xavier made a trey with 2:18 remaining
for a 63-60 advantage and
then closed out the game.
La Salle
fell behind by 15 points to end the first half, 41-26.
Xavier 68, La Salle 62 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Rodney Green.
LaSalle
shot 38% from the field on 28 for 74 (and
9% from beyond
the arc on 2 for 23) and 67% from the foul line
(4 for 6).
Kimmani
Barrett had 11 points. Aaric Murray had 7 points
and 4 blocks. Devon White had 6 points and 4 blocks.
Next
Game: The Explorers face UMass at 2pm on Sunday January
10.
Officials:
John Cahill, Mike Kitts and Bryan Kersey.
The crew gave Xavier 20 free throw attempts to only
6 for La Salle. In addition, Xavier got touch-foul calls
while the Explorers got hit hard and no calls were made during
Xavier's first half run. The crew should have given Xavier's
head coach a Technical at the end of the first half for walking
outside the coaches box but instead just issued a warning.
Grade for Officials: D
(Below Average)
Box
Score
Explorers
Let Bearcats Ruin Outing
January 2,
2010
by Jack
La Salle Opens Decade With Devastating 66-61
Road Loss
The
Explorers (7-6) lost to the lowly Binghamton Bearcats (5-10).
The coaching staff put themselves and the
AD on the hot-seat after blowing a ten point half-time
lead against a team forced to rebuild and put in an untested
coach in Marc Macon. Devon
White (4
points and 5 boards in 16 minutes) made a pair of free
throws to put La Salle up by 14 at 37-23 with 1:40 left
in the half. The Explorers led at the break 37-27.
La Salle
played without desire in the last 13 minutes of the game
and saw a 48-33 lead with 13:49 to play evaporate into
49-48 Binghamton lead with 8:51 left in the game. The
team does need a true point guard but until next season
arrives Parrish Grant (4 minutes in this game) must
get meaningful minutes at the point this year. La Salle
allowed Binghamton to shoot a nearly impossible
63% in the second half and shot a mere 6-of-24 from the
field in the second half (25%). "We're
shellshocked right now," La
Salle coach Dr. John Giannini said. If we witness another
performance like this one, Dr. John will be on life-support
and the La Salle faithful will need a sports psychologist
to help with the emotional letdown.
Binghamton 66, La Salle 61 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Rodney Green (20
points).
LaSalle
shot 36% from the field on 19 for 53 (and 24% from beyond
the arc on 5 for 21) and a dismal 56% from the foul line
(18 for 32).
Kimmani
Barrett had 17 points.
Next
Game: The Explorers open the A10 regular season against
Xavier at 7pm on Thursday January 7.
Officials:
Kenneth Turner ,Kevin Ferguson and John Regan.
The Explorers have only the coaching and team effort to blame
for this disasterous loss.
Grade for Officials: C
(Average)
Box
Score
Explorers
Allow Cornell To Steal Game
December
29, 2009
by Jack
La Salle Closes Out Decade With Disturbing 78-75 Home Loss
The Explorers (7-5) needed to win this game
to shake off the bad feeling from the previous game against Oklahoma State.
Instead, the put themselves into a huge hole by allowing the Cornell Big
Red (10-2) to build an 11-point first half lead at 38-27. Another end
of half trey at the buzzer by the opposition hurt the Explorers... only
this time it was the difference in the final score.
The Blue
and Gold played with desperation and desire in the second
half but could not get key defensive stops when they
needed to. The Explorers
fought back to 72-69 with 28 seconds left. The coaches
have to make sure either Rodney Green (19 points),
Yves Mbala (disappointing 10 points) or Kimmani
Barrett (13 points) takes the next shot.
Instead Steve Weingarten (0 points, 2 turnovers in
9 minutes) over shot a trey with 19 seconds to go and
the Explorers lost a major opportunity to win. Barrett
hit a meaningless trey with 1 second remaining.
Cornell 78, La Salle 75 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Rodney Green.
LaSalle
shot 48% from the field on 30 for 63 (and 47% from beyond
the arc on 8 for 17) and a dismal 54% from the foul line
(7 for 13). Jerrell Williams had 14 points
and 8 rebounds. Aaric Murray contributed 12 points and 4
boards in 27 minutes.
Next Game: The Explorers travel to Binghamton at 2pm on
January 2.
Officials:
Jeff Janosik, John Gaffney and Frank Scagliotta.
Frank Scagliotta can't help himself when it comes to making
calls against the Explorers. He is one of the few refs who
only works La Salle games at Gola Arena and rarely anywhere
else. Scags earns another "F" and so does the new
Commish who failed to remove the poor performing officials.
The other two refs earn a "D".
Grade for Officials: D
(Below Average)
Box
Score
Explorers
Fail To Defend Lane Against Cowboys
December
21, 2009
by BK Seginsda
Lack of Second Half Defense Hurts in Loss
to Oklahoma State
La Salle (7-4) started out by converting only 2 baskets
in their first 20 attempts but then made their next 7 shots
in a row. Yves Mbala (11 points and 7 boards) cut the
lead to 7 at 33-26 against the Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-1)
with 36 seconds left in the half. They could not prevent
the Cowboys from drilling a buzzer beating trey to end
the half and trailed by ten at 36-26. Yves
had
9 points in the half.
The
Explorers lost their focus on defense in the second half
despite the best efforts of Rodney Green (22
points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals), Kimmani Barrett (15
points and 2 boards) and Aaric Murray who
had a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards to go
with 3 blocks in 20 minutes. La Salle cut the lead to 8
with 9:45 to go on a Barrett trey but got no
closer.
Oklahoma State 77, La Salle 62 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Rodney Green.
LaSalle
shot 33% from the field on 18 for 54 (and 40% from beyond
the arc on 6 for 15) and 77% from the foul line (20
for 26).
Next Game: The
Explorers host Cornell at 4pm on December 29 at Gola Arena.
Officials:
John Higgins, Steve Welmer and Tom O'Neill.
John
Higgins made correct calls against both teams and earns
a C. Steve Welmer earned a "D" allowing hand checks on Rodney
by Cowboys players on a couple of possessions at end of first
half. Tom O'Neill earned a "F" for allowing way too much
contact by the Cowboys at the start of first half and critical
points in the second half.
Grade for Officials: D
(Below Average)
Box
Score
La
Salle Fights Back Against Aggressive Bison
December
19, 2009
by BK Seginsda
Blue and Gold Has Strong Second Half Against Bucknell
The Explorers (7-3) started sluggish against the Bucknell
Bison (4-7) and trailed by 7 points with 5:10 left in the
half (35-28). The Explorers were able to battle back and
trailed by 2 at the break 41-39. Kimmani Barrett had 13
points in the half.
The
second half was much better for the Explorers. The injured Yves
Mbala (8 points and 3 boards) took the heart
out of Bucknell with a slam to give the Explorers a 56-46
lead
with 12:36
remaining. He hurt his wrist prior to the game. Aaric
Murray (12
points, 7 boards) had a trey with 4:27 left to boost the
lead to
70-58. Barrett
(23
points,
5
boards)
closed out the scoring with a pair of free throws. Rodney
Green had 22 points.
La Salle 83, Bucknell 70 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game:Kimmani Barrett.
LaSalle
shot 59% from the field on 27 for 46 (and 46% from beyond
the arc on 6 for 13) and 82% from the foul line (23
for 28).
Next Game: The
Explorers visit Oklahoma State
on
Monday
December
21
at
8:30
pm on ESPN2.
Officials:
Non-Rotation Officials Due to Snow Emergency.
The
substitute officials called a good game overall missing calls
against both teams.
Grade for Officials: C
(Average)
Box
Score
Explorers
Start Well Against #1 Kansas But Jayhawks Prevail
December
12, 2009
by Chinkster
Explorers Battle in Hostile Territory But Drop
Game to Kansas
Explorers Take 17-16 Lead 13:06 into Game on Rodney
Greeen trey.
The La Salle Explorers (6-3) were unable to pull the ultimate
upset in college basketball by beating the #1 team. The
Kansas Jayhawks (9-0) were able to use their fanbase and
an assist from the officials to keep the Explorers from
taking the lead on a key charging call made on Rodney Green (19
points, 4 assists and a steal) with 10:34 to go in the
half and Kansas holding a 21-20 lead. The call should have been
a blocking call on Kansas as the defender was too far under
the basket. A couple of minutes later the refs allowed
a Kansas player to hold Jerrell Williams shirt. Green finished
the half with 12 points but La Salle still trailed at the
break 42-27.
Kansas
opened the second half with a trey but Jerrell
Williams (21 points, 5 rebounds
and a block in 33 minutes) responded with a traditional
3-point play with 19:23 remaining. Both
teams
continued
to battle
but
Kansas
had
the sixth
man in the crowd as well the seventh, eigth and ninth man
in the officials who made calls against La Salle at critical
times. The final score would have been much closer in a neutral
court setting. Ruben Guillandeaux also
would have made the game much closer if he had been available.
The Explorer team should realize that they can win against
all of their remaining opponents.
Kansas
90, La Salle 65 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game:Jerrell Williams.
LaSalle
shot 36% from the field on 22 for 61 (and 37% from beyond
the arc on 7 for 19) and 58% from the foul line (14
for 24). The Morris twins combined for 21 points for Kanas.
Marcus had 9 points and Markieff had 12 points. The Explorers
did a good job of shutting down everyone except Xavier Henry
(who had 31 points on 10 for 15 shooting)... had they kept
him closer to his average of 18 points then the score could
have been much closer.
Next Game: The
Explorers face Bucknell at Gola Arena
on
Saturday
December
19
at
2
pm.
Officials:
Mike Sanzere, James Breeding and Gerry Pollard.
This
crew should have put Kansas on their shirts. After Kansas
coach Bill Self started whining when La Salle took the lead
at 17-16 and the refs immediately responded to restore Self's
confidence in the officials! (see article above).
Grade for Officials: D
(Below Average)
Box
Score
Explorers
Prevent Stampede By Taming Broncs
December
9, 2009
by Chinkster
Explorers Build Large Lead Then Hold Off Rider.
The La Salle Explorers (6-2) were able to handle the hostile
crowd and all that the Rider Broncs (6-4) could throw at
them. Rider led 2-1 but the Explorers never trailed after
taking the lead on an Aaric Murray (12 points, 8 boards
and 5 blocks) jumper with 18:46 left to give La Salle a
3-2 advantage. The
Blue and Gold had a 38-25 advantage at the break.
Steve
Weingarten (6 points) appeared to have sealed
the game with a trey to give the Explorers a 52-38 advantage
with
13:17
remaining. Rider had other plans as La Salle was held scoreless
until Kimmani
Barrett (11 points) made a layup with 9:13 left
and La Salle holding onto a 54-57 advantage. Both teams
continued
to play intense defense and Rider put a scare into La Salle
as Rider cut the lead to 62-60 with 1:56 remaining. Then
the Explorers were sent to the line and made 7 of 8 free
throw attempts including key ones by Rodney
Green (25
points and 6 boards and 7 assists) with
1:04 left. The Broncs had finally knew they were beaten.
La
Salle 69, Rider 60 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game:Rodney Green.
LaSalle
shot 44% from the field on 23 for 52 (and 40% from beyond
the arc on 6 for 15) and 77% from the foul line (17
for 22). Ruben Guillandeaux remained out
of action tonight.
Next Game: The
Explorers travel to Kansas City, MO to face the #1 Kansas Jayhawks
on
Saturday
December
12
at
2
pm on ESPN.
Officials:
Ray Perone, Donnie Eppley and Brian Dorsey.
Ray
Perone and the the other two members of the officiating crew
did a good job in ensuring that the proper fouls were called. Grade
for Officials: C (Average)
Box
Score
Explorers
Hammer Hartford Hawks
December
6, 2009
by Jack
Explorers Bench Contributes to 75-62 Victory
Over Hartford.
The Explorers (5-2) had to play short-handed due to the
one game suspensions of Jerrell Williams (averages 8
points and 6.7 boards) and Terrell
Williams (averages 2 points and 2.2 boards)
for unspecified disciplinary reasons. The Hartford Hawks (2-7)
took advantage of Explorer turnovers to keep within striking
distance during the first half.
Devon White (5 points and 6 boards in 18 minutes) gained
some valuable playing experience as he converted the front-end
of a one-and-one and then buried the second free throw
to give the Explorers a 33-26 lead. La Salle led 37-26
at the half.
Steve
Weingarten finished off a 16-4 second half run
with a jumper to give La Salle a 53-30 cushion. Kimmani
Barrett (25 points, 4 boards and a steal in 37
minutes) had a huge game and allowed Rodney Green (13
points and 5 boards in just 30 minutes) and
Aaric Murray (12 points and 2 blocks in
26 minutes) to earn some
rest.
La
Salle 75, Hartford 62 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game:Kimmani Barrett.
LaSalle
shot 46% from the field on 20 for 44 (and 52% from beyond
the arc on 11 for 21) and 73% from the foul line (24
for 33). Ruben Guillandeaux remained out
of action with some sort of foot injury.
Next Game: The
Explorers travel to Rider (Lawrenceville, NJ)
on
Wednesday
December
9
at
7
pm.
Officials:
John Hughes, Earl Walton and Jeff Anderson.
The
officiating deteriorated as the game progressed. John
Hughes (earns a "F" for
making a cross country trek to come to Philadelphia from
Seattle
where he did a game on Saturday) missed an
obvious back court violation and subsequent foul by Hartford
where
the Hartford
player
bounced
the ball off his own foot and
then tracked the ball down in the court as well as pushing
Parrish Grant out of the way. There were
no whistles. Hartford flopped on several plays and Earl
Walton (earns a "D")
fell for it every time. Jeff Anderson (earns
a "D")
missed an obvious call where a Hartford player wrapped his
arm around
a La Salle defender
to get into a better scoring position as the Hartford player
scored and got a foul called to convert the traditional three-point
play.
Grade
for Officials: D (Below Average)
Box
Score
Explorers
Run Past Leopards
December
3, 2009
by Jack
Explorers Show Hustle and Discipline in 79-67 Victory
Over Lafayette.
La Salle (4-2) knew they needed to get back on track and
the Lafayette Leopards (4-4) gave them that opportunity.
The coaching staff stressed the importance of playing with
a controlled confidence and making sure to find the open
man on the offensive end of the floor. The Explorers built
a comfortable 35-23 lead at the break as Rodney Green led
them in the half with 10 points.
The
second half opened with Aaric Murray (13
points, 5 boards and 4 blocked shots) putting back his
own missed shot. Green (19
points, 6 assists and only 2 turnovers)
came up large in the second half as his steal and alley-oop
to Terrell Williams (4 points, 3 boards)
helped take the life out of Lafayette and give La Salle
a 71-56
advantage.
Kimmani Barrett and Yves Mbala each
contributed 13 points. Jerrell Williams had an impressive
outing with 9 points and 7 rebounds.
La
Salle 79, Lafayette 67 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Rodney
Green.
LaSalle
shot 53% from the field on 32 for 60 (and 43% from beyond
the arc on 9 for 21) and 55% from the foul line (6
for 11). Ruben Guillandeaux did not
play and his diagnosis is a stress fracture in his foot.
He wore the boot again tonight and will be examined by doctors
at least once per week. Hopefully he will
be ready
in time
for the Kansas game.
Former La Salle coaching great Speedy Morris was in Gola
Arena to watch the game.
Next Game: The
Explorers host Hartford
on
Sunday
December
6
at
2
pm.
Officials:
Jeff Clark, Brian O'Connell and Joe Lindsay.
These
jokers barely showed up and definitely did not earn their
paycheck. The missed calls were bad against both teams. On
one play they missed Kimmani sliding across the floor (with
the ball) and then throwing it to a teammate after crossing
the half court line (backcourt violation). Later in the first
in half they missed a call where Rodney was hacked. At different
points in the second half both Doc and Fran O'Hanlon (Lafayette
coach) wanted to smack some sense into Brian O'Connell.
Grade
for Officials: D (Below Average)
Box
Score
Bad
Decisions and Bad Execution Equals Bad Loss for Explorers
Against Wildcats
November
28, 2009
by Jack
Multiple missed alley-oop passes while trailing
in the first half, poor free throw execution and careless
ball-handling give Villanova win.
The La Salle Explorers (3-2) literally threw away a win
over the #4 ranked Villanova Wildcats (6-0). The coaching
staff is mostly to blame... they allowed the team to keep
trying failed alley-oop passes while trailing! Instead
of being ahead at the half, the Explorers trailed by eight
at 38-30.
The
second half was worse as the Explorers continued their
sloppy play despite Jerrell
Williams (ripped 16 boards, 15
points, but 10 missed free throws on 19 attempts)
inside play and great efforts by Kimmani
Barrett (17
points, 3 boards) and Aaric Murray (15
points, 14 boards and 2 blocked shots) the Explorers came
away empty. Rodney Green (7
points on 2 of 14 FG, 7 turnovers and only 4 assists) came
up small when the Explorers needed him most. The Explorers
had an unacceptable 27 turnovers and Villanova had 18 steals.
The sloppiness by La Salle was unacceptable and cost the
team any chance of a major upset against their Big 5 rivals.
Villanova
81, La Salle 63 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Aaric
Murray.
LaSalle
shot 36% from the field on 21 for 59 (and 10% from beyond
the arc on 1 for 10) and 54% from the foul line (20
for 37). Ruben Guillandeaux, who did not play against Villanova,
has some sort of foot injury and will be examined by doctors
this
week.
Hopefully
he will
be ready
in time
for the Kansas game.
Next Game: The
Explorers host Lafayette
on
Thursday
December
3
at
7
pm.
Officials:
John Cahill, Mike Roberts and Karl Hess.
The
crew worked together to get 3-point shots correct but there
were too many touch-foul calls.
Grade
for Officials: C (Average)
Box
Score
Explorers
Prevent Green Wave From Washing-Out The Season
November
22, 2009
by Chinkster
Explorers Find A Way To Win Despite Missed Free
Throws in Third Round of Charleston Classic.
The Explorers (3-1) earned a win the hard way over the
Tulane Green Wave (1-3). Tulane came into the game with
added confidence after upsetting Penn State on Friday. Yves
Mbala (4 points, 8 boards) could not hit
a free throw in the game (0 for 7) and luckily for him,
his teammates picked up the slack in the second half. Aaric
Murray (6
points and 3 boards in 15 minutes mostly in the first half)
looked as though he was feeling sick. Murray uncharacteristically
had 3 turnovers.
Ruben Guillandeaux contributed 7 points in the first
half including a key trey to give the Explorers a 20-18
lead. He later made a jumper
to give the Explorers a 28-26 lead at halftime.
The
second half was a battle and Jerrell Williams (6
points, 7 boards and a steal) was right in the middle of
it. Jerrell
had a put-back to give
the Explorers a 33-31 lead. Later he had a layup for a
41-40 Explorer lead. After Tulane had taken a 4 point lead
at 48-44, Kimmani Barrett (14 points,
4 boards) scored and then Jerrell made a hook shot to bring
the Explorers within
a point at 49-48.
Later Ruben (10 points, 3 assists) hit a clutch trey that
should have been enough to put Tulane away at 55-51 with
2:09
left.
After
Kimmani
scored on a lob pass for a 57-51 lead the victory appeared
to be in-hand. Tulane hung around and cut the lead to 59-56
with 38.8 seconds remaining. And then Tulane had the help
of a sixth man as an official gave Tulane
the ball on a 5 second
call
that
was only about 3 seconds. Rodney Green (13
points, 8 boards and 2 steals) hit all of his free throws
down the stretch to help La Salle
hold a 61-56 lead
with 25 seconds left. Tulane hit a trey for a 61-59 lead.
Tulane then fouled Yves who had missed his 5 previous free
throws. Dr. G should have taken him out of the game earlier.
16 seconds
left
and
Yves missed both of his free throws. Tulane had two chances
in the final second but both missed. The Explorers won
2 of 3 games in Charleston and had a successful trip. The
coaches have much work to do in preparing for Villanova.
La
Salle 61, Tulane 59 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Kimmani
Barrett.
LaSalle
shot 47% from the field on 22 for 47 (and 46% from beyond
the arc on 5 for 11) and 57% from the foul line (12
for 21).
Next Game: The
Explorers travel to face Big 5 rival Villanova (#6 ranked)
on
Saturday
November
28
at
3:30
pm, televised on ESPN2.
Officials:
Bret Smith, Tom Eades and Curtis Shaw.
The
crew missed players hacking one another in the first half.
In the second half Green was called for a foul after a Tulane
player ran him over. And they gave Tulane an opportunity
to tie or win the game by calling a 5 second violation even
though no more then 3 seconds went by before they called
it.
Grade
for Officials: F (Failure) due
to incompetence.
Box
Score
Explorers
Disciplined Play Gives Wildcats Fits
November
20, 2009
by Chinkster
Explorers Focus on Defense Pays Dividends in Second
Round of Charleston Classic.
The Explorers (2-1) learned their lesson from Thursday
night and played with more focus and discipline against
the Davidson Wildcats (0-3). Aaric Murray (14 points
and 5 boards) gave the Explorers an early spark and kept
his focus especially during one sequence where he made
a steal and fed Rodney
Green (21 points and 10 boards) on
the break, Rodney missed the shot but Aaric followed him
downcourt and jammed it home to put the Explorers up 31-21
with 5:16 remaining in the half.
Ruben Guillandeaux scored all 11 of his points in the
half. The Blue and Gold continued to play tough for the
remainder of the half and Kimmani
Barrett (13 points, 3 assists) closed the half with a fade-away
trey at the buzzer for a 46-30 lead at the break.
There
was almost no chance that La Salle would let Davidson steal
this game. In fact, Davidson never got the lead down to
single digits. Rodney had an explosive second half and
led a beautiful feed to Murray for a jam that gave the
Explorers a 72-56 lead. Yves Mbala made 11 of 12 free throws
on his way to 17 points.
La
Salle 84, Davidson 70 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Rodney
Green.
LaSalle
shot 55% from the field on 30 for 55 (and 50% from beyond
the arc on 6 for 12) and 69% from the foul line (18
for 26). There was no tv nor webcast for the first time in
over a year for a La Salle game. Comcast dropped the ball
for La Salle followers again; they could have picked up
a feed provided by CSS and provided the live feed on Comcast
Network
(instead
of
showing
the
taped Penn State-Tulane game).
Next Game: The
Explorers face Tulane (1-2) in the final round of the Charleston Classic on
Sunday
November
22
at
12:30
pm.
Officials:
Andrew Walton, John Hampton and Les Jones.
The
crew made missed an obvious offensive goal-tend against Davidson
in the first half. There was a late whistle on a foul called
on Murray at 4:17 of the second half. Terrell Williams was
fouled hard with under 3 minutes to go and the whistles were
silent.
Grade
for Officials: D (Below Average)
Box
Score
Explorers
Undisciplined Second Half Gives Gamecocks The Win
November
19, 2009
by Chinkster
Explorers Sloppy Second Half Hands Host South Carolina
Win in Opening Round of Charleston Classic.
Unfortunately the Explorers (1-1) could not convince themselves
that the game of college basketball is 40 minutes tonight.
La Salle played inspired basketball for the first 15 minutes
of the game. Jerell Williams (11 points and 5 boards)
scored the first 5 points of the game for the Explorers.
Then Kimmani
Barrett (7 points, 4 boards and 3 steals) hit
two consecutive baskets and gave La Salle a 9-2 advantage.
Ruben Guillandeaux (7 points and 3 assists) made a layup
at 4:59 for a 30-22 Explorer lead over the host South Carolina
Gamecocks (3-0). Aaric
Murray
(4 blocks, 5 boards and 4 points in the half) was whistled
for a very questionable charge (his second foul at 4:25)
as the South Carolina player fell backward much too easily.
Ruben rushed a three pointer with 3:08 to go in the half
- something he cannot do if this team is to be successful.
The Gamecocks went on a 16-6 run to close the
half with a 38-36 lead over the Explorers.
The second half started out sloppy for La Salle as South
Carolina stole the ball and scored very early. La Salle's
lack of defensive intensity in the second half was disturbing
to many. The team must find an answer and clamp down on
the defensive end of the floor. The offense must be run
in a disciplined manner. Trying to lob a pass 30 feet for
an alley-oop play is not how you play the college game.
South
Carolina 78, La Salle 68 FINAL. Explorer
Top Performer of the Game: Rodney
Green.
LaSalle
shot 48% from the field on 26 for 54 (and 25% from beyond
the arc on 2 for 8) and 61% from the foul line (14
for 23).
Next Game: The
Explorers face Davidson (0-2) in the second round of the Charleston Classic on
Friday
November
20
at
7
pm.
Officials:
Mark Whitehead, Andrew Walton and Hal Lusk .
The
crew made bad calls on both teams.
Grade
for Officials: C (Average)
Box
Score
Murray Wins A10 Rookie of Week Award
November 15, 2009
Aaric
Murray (#24) scored 16 points and pulled down
11 rebounds as La Salle edged Hampton on Nov. 14, 83-80.
Murray connected on 7-of-14 shots and had seven offensive
rebounds. Aaric became
the first La Salle freshman to record
a double-double in his collegiate debut since Michael Brooks (#32)
on Nov. 29, 1976 versus Widener.
Explorers Treasure Victory Over Pirates
November 14, 2009
by Jack
La
Salle Holds On For 83-80 Win Over Hampton Pirates.
Aaric Murray had
a double-double in his La Salle debut.
Murray had 16 points, 11 boards, 4 blocks
and 2
steals in 32 minutes. The Explorers built an early
25-12 lead at 10:11 on a Rodney Green (23
points and 7 boards) trey but gave it right back and then
some. The
Explorers trailed 29-26 with 6:40 remaining in the half.
Then it
was Hampton's
turn
to go ice cold and the Explorers led 35-31 at the break.
The
second half started with an electrifying dunk by Murray
with an assist from Jerrell Williams (5
points and 3 boards). Yves
Mbala (16 points, 1 block and 1 steal) appeared
to put the game away with a dunk with 6:06 remaining
to
put
the
Explorers
up
64-55.
But Hampton
made the game closer then it should have been. The
Explorers had to make free throws in order to seal
this one in the win column and they made enough to
do that.
La
Salle 83,
Hampton 80 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer
of the Game: Rodney Green.
LaSalle
shot 49% from the field on 27 for 55 (and 59% from beyond
the arc on 10 for 17) but just 59% from the foul line (19
for 32). Ruben Guillandeaux (10 points and
5 assists) and Steve
Weingarten (7 points and 2 steals) played
well during key stretches of the game.
Next Game: The
Explorers travel to South Carolina to play in the Charleston
Classic. The first game will be Thursday November 19 against
host South Carolina at 9:30 pm and will be televised on ESPNU.
Officials:
Paul Faia, Frank Scagliotta and Michael McCloskey.
The
crew missed some obvious calls including pulling on shirt
and some overly physical play on both teams. They also called
some touch fouls including one on Rodney Green that gave
him his 4th.
Grade
for Officials: C (Average)
Box Score
Explorers Prepare For Regular Season By Beating Division
2 Holy Family
November 7, 2009
by Jack
Exhibition: La
Salle Crushes Holy Family 94-59.
Aaric Murray looked
great in his debut in an Explorer uniform.
Murray had 13 points, 8 boards, 4 blocks, 3 assists and 2
steals in only 20 minutes. Rodney Green (14
points, 6 boards and 6 assists in 19 minutes) looks like
he is in ready for the challenge that this season will
bring. Jerrell Williams, Ruben Guillandeaux and Devon
White
all scored in double figures.
The season starts November 14 against Hampton at Gola Arena,
tipoff is 3pm.
Our annual A-10 standings and post-season predictions for
the Explorers follow:
| ExpMod |
2nd -
NCAA |
| BK Seginsda |
1st - NCAA |
| Chinkster |
4th
- NIT |
| Amanda Preston |
2nd -
NCAA |
| The
Oz |
3rd -
NCAA |
| Jack |
3rd
- NCAA |
