LaSalle-Explorers.com 2010-11 Articles

Explorers Season Ends As A10 Refuses To Recognize Corrupt Officiating By Allowing Refs Eppley and Carstensen To Officiate

March 11, 2011
by Jack
A10 Supervisor of Officials Jim Satalin Assigns D.J. Carstensen and Donnie Eppley, Two-Thirds of Corrupt Officiating in Bonnies Game, to Officiate this Game. These Refs Allowed Aaric Murray to get Poked in the Eye Without a Call Against Temple and Momentum Shifted to Temple After Murray Sits with Injury.

The La Salle Explorers (15-18, 1-1 in A10 Tournament) were once again victims of the poor officiating allowed by the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Explorers were positioning themselves to pull the upset over the Temple Owls (25-6, 1-0 in A10 Tournament) when a couple of key officiating calls were not made. Ref Donnie Eppley stood by and watched a Temple player come over the back of Aaric Murray (22 points, 11 boards and 3 blocks) and slap his arm knocking the ball to LaVoy Allen of Temple who scored and put the Owls up 48-42. Immediately following at the other end of the floor Murray was fouled and poked in the eye on a short jumper along the baseline right in front of ref DJ Carstensen who did not make the obvious call. Murray had to come of the game due to the eye injury. Temple had been playing tight and looked ready to be upset prior to that point. Coach John Giannini should have went after the officials and picked up a technical at this point to bring attention to the missed calls. Temple then went on a roll with Murray on the bench. Temple knew they could play with confidence knowing that the refs had their backs.

The Explorers played too fast in the first half and thus trailed at the break 42-32 due in large part to 15 turnovers to only 3 for Temple. The second half saw the Explorers with a much better effort as they only had 7 turnovers to 3 for Temple. They cut the lead to four at 46-42 and were ready to take over the game before the officials did major damage to any comeback attempt by allowing the Owls to push Murray to get a key basket and then allowing them to take him out of the game with the eye injury. By the time Murray checked back in Temple was up by 12 points which severely damaged any chance of a comeback.

Ruben Guillandeaux (17 points), Jerrell Williams (11 points) and Tyreek Duren (14 points) all contributed solid offensive games.

The game should mark the end to a disappointing tenure for both Athletic Director Dr. Tom Brennan and for coach Dr. John Giannini. Brennan had the opportunity to bring in a high profile coach 7 years ago (including Fran Dunphy) and instead chose Giannini who has disappointed alums and fans of the Explorers by not producing consecutive winning seasons. The following statements from Giannini after the game in the press conference tell all. "I will go to my grave scratching my head over this team defensively," Giannini said. "I mean, we spent 100 percent of our time in the spring and the fall on defense. We didn't do anything offensively until October 15. If we were to go out and talk about how to cover a back screen, how to cover a down screen, how to cover a ball screen, our guys could put out a wonderful instructional videotape but for some reason in competitive situations, it's a very low carryover. Frankly, I have some theories, but I'll never really understand it." An announcement should be made by March 15.

Temple 96, La Salle 76. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.

LaSalle shot 52% from the field on 31 for 58 (and 50% from beyond the arc on 8 for 16) and 55% from the foul line (6 for 11). Coaching Grade: D

Post-game Press Conference

Officials:D.J. Carstensen, Donnie Eppley and David Walker.
Carstensen and Eppley should have been at home writing out checks to pay for the steep fines the A10 should have imposed immediately following the Bonnies game. Jim Satalin must be terminated.

Grade for Officials: F (Failure) - due to Corruption by A10 of Supervisors Jim Satalin and Commissioner Bernadette McGlade for allowing two of same officials from the previous game to officiate in this important elimination game.

Box Score

Explorer Top Performer of the Year: Aaric Murray (13 games)
Other top performers: Ruben Guillandeaux (6 games); Jerrell Williams (6 games); Earl Pettis (3 games); Tyreek Duren (2 games); Cole Stefan (2 games); Steve Weingarten (1 game).

Coaching Grades for 2010-2011: A+ (3 games); A (2 games); B+ (1 game); B (2 games); B- (4 games); C+(2 games) C (2 games); C- (3 games); D (4 games); D- (2 games); F (8 games). 14 games above average, 19 games average or below.

March 8, 2011
by Jack
A10 Must Ban D.J. Carstensen, Donnie Eppley and Roger Ayers From Officiating Any Future Games; They made obvious incorrect calls in Bonnies favor in the two Overtimes.
The La Salle Explorers (15-17,1-0 in A10 Tournament) pulled an upset in one of the toughest arenas to win in all of college hoops, Bob Lanier Arena. The Saint Bonaventure Bonnies (16-14,0-1 in A10 Tournament) had the game handed to them a few times but their inability to hit key free throws cost them the game. The home team Bonnies got calls on things that didn't happen (made-up out of bounds calls against La Salle) and got calls when they committed turnovers (those were overturned by the officials also). La Salle came out on fire to start the game and keep the crowd silent for the first 4 minutes as they built a 13-2 lead on a layup by Tyreek Duren (14 points, 5 assists and 4 steals) with 15:40 to go in the half. The Bonnies regained their composure and the lead at 7:51 to go 23-22. The Bonnies finished the half with a 39-28 lead and it looked depressing for the Explorers.

The second half brought out the best in the Explorers. They grabbed a brief lead at 52-51 on a layup by Steve Weingarten (5 points and a steal in 12 clutch minutes) with 5:36 left in the second. The teams traded baskets and La Salle tied the score at 55 with 27 seconds remaining on a layup by Ruben Guillandeaux (18 points). The score remained tied at 55 as the Bonnies missed a shot with 4 seconds left.

In the first overtime, at 4:53, Jerrell Williams (19 points, 7 boards) was whistled for stepping out of bounds by ref Carstensen; however replays clearly showed he was not within a foot of the sideline. Aaric Murray (9 points, 10 boards and 2 blocks) had position and was going for his own rebound when he was pushed by a Bonnies player from behind and the ball clearly hit a Bonnies player and went out of bounds but ref Ayers said it was off of Aaric. Murray had enough of the officiating nonsense and let Ayers know that the officiating was a joke. Murray was given a technical foul for correctly pointing out corrupt officiating. The Bonnies built a 65-62 lead with 26 seconds remaining. Ruben again came through in the clutch as he did not want his career to end in Olean. This time he called "the bank is open" and nailed a trey off the backboard. The game was tied at 65 with 14 seconds left. The Bonnies turned the ball over with 11 seconds left and Cole Stefan (3 points in 10 minutes) took the ball to the basket and was shoved to the floor with two hands by a Bonnies player; of course no call was made. Then Duren got the board and was hacked with two seconds left but the whistles remained silent.

The second overtime saw the Bonnies again build a two point lead. They led 73-71 with 42 seconds remaining. Weingarten did not want the season to end so he calmly drilled a trey with 32 seconds remaining. Weingarten then fouled the Bonnies Da'quan Cook on a clean play to prevent him from getting an opportunity to win the game with 3 seconds left. Cook missed both free throws. Duren got the board and was fouled with .08 remaining. He sank the first free throw but intentionally missed the second. Game over, Explorers win a thriller and overcome a corrupt officiating crew, hostile crowd and a tough opponent!

La Salle 75, Saint Bonaventure 73, 2 OT FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Ruben Guillandeaux.

LaSalle shot 40% from the field on 30 for 75 (and 36% from beyond the arc on 9 for 25) and 55% from the foul line (6 for 11). Coaching Grade: B+

Up Next: at Temple on Friday 3/11 in Atlantic City 6:30pm on CSN

Officials:D.J. Carstensen, Donnie Eppley and Roger Ayers.
The crew blatantly and boldly tried to determine the outcome of the game in the Bonnies' favor.

Grade for Officials: F (Failure) - due to Blatant Corruption. All 3 officials need to be fined and removed from Division 1 officiating.

Box Score

Explorers Cannot Overcome Corrupt Officiating As Temple Given Huge Advantage by Refs Frank Scagliotta, John Gwynn and Todd Williams

March 5, 2011
by Jack

A10 Standings Conference Record Overall Record A10 Tournament

Xavier 15-1 24-6 Bye

Temple 14-2 24-6 Bye

Richmond 13-3 24-7 Bye

Duquesne 11-5 18-11 Bye

Geo. Washington 10-6 17-13 Saint Joe's Tuesday

Rhode Island 9-7 18-12 Saint Louis Tuesday

St. Bonaventure 8-8 16-13 La Salle Tuesday 3/8 5pm

Massachusetts 7-9 15-14 Dayton Tuesday

Dayton 7-9 19-12 at UMass Tuesday

La Salle 6-10 14-17 at St. Bonaventure Tuesday 3/8 5pm

Saint Louis 6-10 12-18 at Rhode Island

Saint Joe's 4-12 9-21 at GW Tuesday

Charlotte 2-14 10-20 Season Over

Fordham 1-15 7-21 Season Over

A10 Allows Corrupt Officiating To Continue Under Commish McGlade.
The Explorers (14-17, 6-10 in A10, 10th place) had no chance of winning the contest against the Temple Owls (24-6, 14-2, 2nd place) as soon as they discovered Frank Scagliotta was one of the officials. The home team Temple Owls was given such a huge advantage as Temple senior LaVoy Allen, on Senior Day, pushed and shoved his way to 24 points and was only called for a couple of fouls very late in the game after the outcome had been determined. The Explorers battled in the first half and trailed by just 2 at the intermission 44-42. Jerrell Williams (9 points, 1 board in 16 minutes due to foul trouble) was slapped with a technical for showing his justified frustration. Scagliotta didn't hesitate in handing him a bogus charging foul and then a technical foul for bouncing the ball hard on the floor (his second and third fouls).

The Explorers continued to try to battle through the corrupt officiating but instead of recognizing the one sidedness, ref John Gwynn, who used be a very good official, warned the Explorer bench for complaining! Aaric Murray led the Explorers with 17 points and 9 boards. Earl Pettis added 12 points and played tough defense in 29 minutes while Steve Weingarten added 11 points in just 15 minutes of action. The Explorers had 22 assists led by Tyreek Duren (8 points) and deserved a chance to win the game but that was taken away by the officials. The Explorers played near flawless on the offense end and defensively played as good as they did all year but Temple was whistled for only 12 fouls; a few after the refs had already decided the contest. Temple was much more physical and got away with hard contact all night yet La Salle had 19 fouls called against them.

Temple 90, La Salle 82 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.

LaSalle shot 55% from the field on 31 for 56 (and 50% from beyond the arc on 8 for 16) and 86% from the foul line (12 for 14). Coaching Grade: A

Up Next: at Saint Bonaventure on Tuesday 3/8 5pm on CBS College Sports

Officials:John Gwynn, Todd Williams and Frank Scagliotta.
The crew blatantly determined the outcome of the game in Temple's favor.

March 2, 2011
by Jack

A10 Standings Conference Record Overall Record Remaining Game

Xavier 14-1 23-6 at SLU 2pm Saturday

Temple 13-2 23-6 La Salle 3pm Saturday

Richmond 12-3 23-7 Duquesne 12 noon Saturday

Duquesne 10-5 18-10 at Richmond 12 noon Saturday

Rhode Island 9-6 18-11 at St. Bonaventure 2pm Saturday

George Washington 9-6 16-13 Dayton 2pm Saturday

Dayton 7-8 19-11 at George Washington 2pm Saturday

Massachusetts 7-8 15-13 at Fordham 1pm Saturday

St. Bonaventure 7-8 15-13 Rhode Island 2pm Saturday

La Salle 6-9 14-16 at Temple 3pm Saturday

Saint Louis 6-9 12-17 Xavier 2pm Saturday

Saint Joe's 3-12 8-21 at Charlotte 2pm Saturday

Charlotte 2-13 10-19 Saint Joe's 2pm Saturday

Fordham 0-15 6-21 Massachusetts 1pm Saturday

Fordham Had Little Chance Against La Salle.
The Explorers (14-16, 6-9 in A10, 10th place) made sure that the Fordham Rams (0-15, 6-21) had no shot to pull an upset. The home team sealed the game in the first half by building a 34-17 advantage with 3:29 to go in the first half. Aaric Murray led the Explorers with a double-double for the game (20 points, 13 boards and 3 blocks and a steal in 25 minutes.) The first half was superb for the Explorers as they cruised to a 45-21 led at the break.

La Salle 86, Fordham 61 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.

LaSalle shot 46% from the field on 33 for 72 (and 35% from beyond the arc on 7 for 20) and 57% from the foul line (13 for 23). Coaching Grade: A+

Up Next: at Temple on Saturday 3/5 3pm

Officials:John Regan, Kevin O'Connell and Quintin Murphy.
The crew called the game as it played out.

Grade for Officials: B (Above Average) - The officials called a good game aided in large part by Fordham's poor shooting.

Box Score

February 27, 2011
by Chinkster

UMass Blown Out of Philadelphia By La Salle on Senior Day.
La Salle (13-16, 5-9 in A10) was totally and completely dominant in beating the Massachusetts Minutemen (15-12, 7-7). John Giannini embarrassed his team into playing well. Members of the La Salle Hall of Athletes were present at the game; some of the greatest players in their sport (including basketball). Senior Greg Danish gave the Explorers a boost as he swished a trey for a 9-2 Explorer advantage. Aaric Murray led the Explorers with 16 points, 4 boards and 2 blocks. The first half was incredible for the Explorers as they led at half 48-25.

La Salle 72, UMass 51 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.

LaSalle shot 35% from the field on 25 for 72 (and 38% from beyond the arc on 9 for 24) and 72% from the foul line (13 for 18). Coaching Grade: A+

Post-game Press Conference

Up Next: Fordham on Wednesday 3/2 7pm

Officials:Jamie Luckie, Joe Lindsay and Jeff Clark.
The crew called the game as it played out.

Grade for Officials: B (Above Average) - For the first time in a long time the refs did not give the visitors the home court advantage on calls.

Box Score

February 22, 2011
by Chinkster

La Salle Gets Blown Out of Cincinnati.
La Salle (12-16, 4-9 in A10) was totally and completely disgraced and humiliated by the Xavier Musketeers (21-6, 12-1). John Giannini did not have his team prepared for the challenge tonight. Aaric Murray and Jerrell Williams combined for 17 points and 7 boards. The first half was a total disaster for the Explorers who trailed at the break 52-20.

Xavier 100, La Salle 62 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Tyreek Duren.

LaSalle shot 36% from the field on 19 for 53 (and 21% from beyond the arc on 5 for 24) and 79% from the foul line (19 for 24). Coaching Grade: F

Up Next: Massachusetts on Sunday 2/27 2pm

Officials: Donnie Eppley, Pat Driscoll and Bryan Kersey.
The entire crew made it clear to La Salle that there was no chance for La Salle in this game as La Salle had 7 fouls to just one for Xavier. Did Cintas send these guys checks before the game?

Grade for Officials: F (Failure) - The refs had hesitation when blowing the whistle when the Explorers were fouled but had no hesitation whenever they felt Xavier was fouled.

Box Score

February 19, 2011
by Jack

La Salle Falls Short In Second Half Comeback Attempt.
La Salle (12-15, 4-8 in A10) continues to fail in its' execution and tonight it cost them the game against their rival, the George Washington Colonials, (14-12, 7-5) at Tom Gola Arena. John Giannini continues to experiment with different lineups; Ruben Guillandeaux was benched the entire second half and only played 8 ineffective minutes. Jerrell Williams had a great first half with 18 points, 2 boards and zero turnovers. The Explorers trailed at the break 43-38.

George Washington 82, La Salle 80 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Jerrell Williams.

LaSalle shot 42% from the field on 27 for 64 (and 28% from beyond the arc on 5 for 18) and 72% from the foul line (21 for 29). Coaching Grade: D

This is the second straight game the team surrendered 82 points. You can't win giving away that many points.

Up Next: at Xavier on Tuesday 2/22 7pm

Officials: Jackie Sanders, Quintin Murphy and David Walker.
The crew missed calls against both teams.

Grade for Officials: C (Average) - The technical against GWs Joseph Katuka was warranted - he pushed Earl Pettis in the face.

Box Score

February 12, 2011
by Jack

La Salle's Lack Of Energy Costly Against Bonnies.
La Salle (12-14, 4-7 in A10) failed to continue the momentum they had earlier in the week. Instead they got blown out by the Saint Bonaventure Bonnies (13-10, 5-5) in Olean, New York. John Giannini has to get better play from his team. The Explorers trailed at the break 37-27.

Saint Bonaventure 82, La Salle 61 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.

LaSalle shot 32% from the field on 19 for 59 (and 24% from beyond the arc on 4 for 17) and 86% from the foul line (19 for 22). Coaching Grade: F

Coach Giannini has a full week to prepare his team to beat the Colonials.

Up Next: George Washington on Saturday 2/19 7pm

Officials: Frankie Bordeaux, John Gwynn and Jeff Albright.
The Explorers played so poorly that officiating went unnoticed.

February 9, 2011
by Chinkster

La Salle Beats Saint Louis On Late Surge.
The Explorers (12-13, 4-6 in A10) continue the trend of playing better on the road in the A10 then they do at home. Tonight it was the Saint Louis Billikens (8-15, 3-7) who were the victims. The Explorers continue to make following them difficult by not having the killer instinct to put away bad teams early and not let them back into the game. John Giannini still makes some strange substitutions at key moments of games. La Salle built an early 18-11 lead on a trey by Ruben Guillandeaux. Saint Louis then took advantage of the pourous La Salle "defense" and actually led at the break 44-43. Saint Louis has trouble scoring more then 60 points so to give up 44 in a half to them is insane.

La Salle 78, Saint Louis 77 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Ruben Guillandeaux.

LaSalle shot 48% from the field on 29 for 60 (and 40% from beyond the arc on 6 for 15) and 67% from the foul line (14 for 21). Coaching Grade: C

Up Next: at Saint Bonaventure on Saturday 2/12 4pm

Officials: Paul Faia, Joe Demayo and John Regan.
Paul Faia did not ruin this game for La Salle probably because it was on national tv.

Grade for Officials: C (Average) - I did not notice any major blunders.

Box Score

Coach G and Refs Kill Chance for Victory Over Dayton February 5, 2011
by Jack

La Salle Explorers Beaten By Own Coach and Refs.
The La Salle Explorers (11-13, 3-6 in A10) faced the impossible task of beating the Dayton Flyers (17-7, 5-4) and the officials. The Explorers could have won this game if Coach John Giannini had played Aaric Murray (4 points) more in the second half; he only played 3 minutes in second half and 11 total in the game. They could have won if ref Frank Scagliotta and La Salle nemesis at Gola Arena had not: 1. missed an obvious Dayton foul with 1:42 remaining (instead calling Cole Stefan (15 points) for an offensive foul); 2. an obvious Dayton travel by Parker (he slid his back foot across the floor) right in front of the Explorers bench with just less then a minute left and Explorers down by 5; 3. Dayton player travelled and was out of bounds and the whistles were silent with about 15 seconds left.

Earl Pettis (24 points on 7 for 10 shooting and 10 for 10 free throws in 29 minutes) kept fighting throughout the game. Steve Weingarten contributed 13 points and 7 boards. Tyreek Duren added 12 points in 33 minutes.

This is a group of individuals, not a team. The seniors have failed to lead lately which leads back to a discussion on coaching.

Dayton 85, La Salle 81 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Earl Pettis.

LaSalle shot 41% from the field on 28 for 69 (and 25% from beyond the arc on 6 for 25) and 86% from the foul line (19 for 22). Coaching Grade: F

Post-Game Press Conference - John doesn't understand he can't win without Murray. "I don't know" is not an acceptable answer.

Up Next: at Saint Louis on Wednesday 2/9 9pm on CSN

Officials: Lamar Simpson, Edward Crenshaw and Frank Scagliotta.
Frank Scagliotta needs to be forced out of the Atlantic 10 officiating rotation; it is clear he has an agenda against La Salle.

Grade for Officials: F (Failure) due to an obvious agenda by Scagliotta; the other two refs due to corruption.

Box Score

Coach G Sees Lots of Shadows Against Temple; Needs Serious Coaching Help February 2, 2011
by Jack

Explorers Fail To Bury Temple Early.
The Explorers (11-12, 3-5 in A10) continue to aggrevate their followers by not playing focused and intelligently. The Temple Owls (16-5, 5-2) were the latest beneficiary. The Explorers should have won this game as it was evident that Temple was not prepared at the start of the game. The score was 10-2 at the 13:30 mark of the first half as Devon White hit a 13 foot jumper. The Explorers then played "slop ball" and Temple took its' first lead at 21-19 with 5:58 remaining in the first half. The Owls coasted to a 32-23 halftime lead.

Aaric Murray (22 points, 8 boards in 35 minutes) kept the Explorers close in the second half but La Salle never got closer then 4 points. Ruben Guillandeaux missed the game due to the flu, the second time this year that happened.

Coach John Giannini should have been able to find a way to win this game against a Temple team that played without much passion.

Temple 71, La Salle 67 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.

LaSalle shot 39% from the field on 25 for 64 (and 39% from beyond the arc on 7 for 18) and 59% from the foul line (10 for 17). Coaching Grade: D

Post-Game Press Conference - Still searching for answers.

Up Next: Dayton on Saturday 2/5 6pm on CSN

Officials: Ron Tyburski, Jeff Clark and Jackie Sanders.
The refs allowed far too much contact especially by Temple in the first half. Tyburski and Sanders missed many calls including an elbow thrown by a Temple player who seconds later scored on the play when the whistles were silent. The Atlantic 10 continues their downward spiral due to lack of officiating oversight.

Grade for Officials: F (Failure) due to incompetence and an agenda.

Box Score

Double Overtime Thriller in Charlotte Gets Explorers Record Even January 29, 2011
by Chinkster

La Salle Defense Enables Third Straight Victory.
La Salle (11-11, 3-4 in A10) have closed the month of January with 3 consecutive wins to climb to .500 as they took 50 minutes to beat the Charlotte 49ers (9-12, 1-6). The Explorers definitely had their struggles in this contest. The Blue and Gold played a sluggish first half and trailed at the break 35-28.

Aaric Murray (16 points, 9 boards in 30 minutes) made key baskets in the second half. Earl Pettis (17 points, 7 boards in 36 minutes) scored 9 straight Explorer points and tied the game at 54 with 8:02 to go in the second half. Ruben Guillandeaux (12 points and 6 boards in 33 minutes) scored the final 8 points for La Salle in the half. Ruben's basket with 21 seconds left tied the game at 71. Charlotte's last second attempt was in the basket but rimmed out.

In the first overtime period Murray scored 4 points on free throws. But it was Cole Stefan (9 points in 21 minutes) who saved the game with a clutch trey with 8 seconds to go. Cole knotted the score at 78. Charlotte again missed a last second attempt.

In the second overtime period Stefan nailed a trey for an 81-78 advantage with 4:35 remaining. Tyreek Duren (12 points and 5 assists in 44 minutes) closed out the game with 4 free throws.

La Salle 91, Charlotte 86, 2OT FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Cole Stefan.

LaSalle shot 38% from the field on 29 for 77 (and 18% from beyond the arc on 4 for 22) and 85% from the foul line (29 for 34). Coaching Grade: C+

Up Next: Temple on Wednesday 2/2 7pm

If Temple coach Fran Dunphy sees his shadow on Wednesday it means 6 weeks of good basketball for La Salle and that Fran should watch his back!

Officials: Wally Rutecki, David Walker and John Gwynn.
The refs made one horrific call against each team but overall were fair to both teams.

Explorers Bombard Bottom Dwelling Hawks in Big 5 Battle
January 27, 2011
by Chinkster

La Salle Beats Saint Joe's But Turnovers Still a Huge Problem.
The Explorers (10-11, 2-4 in A10) are climbing back closer to .500 and have a chance to close the month at 11-11 with a win over a bad Charlotte team. The Explorers struggled against the weak Saint Joseph's Hawks (5-15, 0-6) in the early part of the first half. The Hawks actually led for the first 9 minutes and 24 seconds of the first half. Enter Cole Stefan (12 points all in the first half) for the Explorers. Cole nailed a trey to knot the score at 14 with 9:36 remaining. Later he was knocked to the floor while attempting a trey and was awarded 3 free throws of which he calmy sank all 3 for a 19-16 Explorer advantage. He ripped the heart of the Hawks by nailing two more treys. The Explorers led at the break 34-27.

Aaric Murray (19 points on 7 for 10 shooting, 14 boards and 5 huge blocks) played like he should every game. Earl Pettis (14 points and a steal) made some key baskets including a trey that diminished any hopes of a Hawk victory at 17:28 and an Explorer advantage of 46-29. However, the Explorers did not put the Hawks away for good until Sam Mills' (5 points and 3 boards) trey with 12:13 left extended the lead to 53-45.

Ruben Guillandeaux (8 points on 1 for 9 shooting) hurt the team with his bad decision making and poor shot selection today. Jerrell Williams (2 points and 2 boards) was given an attitude adjustment with just 6 minutes of playing time. Tyreek Duren (9 points, 7 boards, 7 assists and 5 steals in 38 minutes) was a little sloppy as he had 6 turnovers.

La Salle 76, Saint Joe's 72 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.

LaSalle shot 51% from the field on 23 for 45 (and 67% from beyond the arc on 8 for 12) and 82% from the foul line (22 for 27). Coaching Grade: C -

Up Next: at Charlotte on Saturday 1/29 7pm

Officials: Dave Draucker, Frank Spencer and Larry Scirotto.
The refs missed obvious calls and made some strange calls on players far away from the ball. The Atlantic 10 needs a serious upgrade in officiating but the new commish is the same as the old one in this area and the entire league suffers because of it.

Coach G Temporarily Saves Job With Win Over Rhodey - Can He Save The Season? January 22, 2011
by Jack

La Salle Wins Game at Rhode Island. Coach G and AD Brennan Still On Hot Seat.
The Explorers (9-11, 1-4 in A10) finally have shown some life since the Villanova contest. The Explorers built a 21-13 lead with 9:47 to go in the first half. However, just as in previous games, they quickly surrendered points to the Rhode Island Rams (12-7, 3-2). The Explorers led at the break 32-28.

Aaric Murray (20 points on 7 for 10 shooting, 4 boards and game saving block) and Earl Pettis (14 points and 4 boards) both made game changing plays. Earl hit a clutch trey to tie the score at 72 with 1:43 left in the game. Aaric converted a traditional 3-point play with 28 seconds left to give La Salle a 76-73 lead. Aaric later blocked away a last second attempt by the Rams at the buzzer.

Ruben Guillandeaux (5 points on 2 for 9 shooting) hurt the team with his immaturity again today. He benched himself with a stupid technical foul with 4:23 left and his team ahead 69-66. Jerrell Williams had a key pass to Murray at the end, chipped in with 7 points, 3 boards in 24 minutes.
Tyreek Duren (11 points, 6 boards, 7 assists and 3 steals in 38 minutes) played like a seasoned professional.

La Salle 76, Rhode Island 75 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.

LaSalle shot 44% from the field on 27 for 61 (and 35% from beyond the arc on 7 for 20) and 79% from the foul line (15 for 19). Coaching Grade: C

Up Next: Saint Joe's on Wednesday 1/26 7pm

Officials: Joe DeMayo, Ken Clark and Frankie Bordeaux.
The refs were pathetic in this game. Frankie Bordeaux and Joe DeMayo failed to hustle down the court on several occasions. These lazy bumpkins need to be fined heavily. They missed a critical goal tend call that hurt the Explorers. Ken Clark also missed calls. Joe DeMayo watched as Jerrell Williams was tackled and no call was made at another critical near the end of the game. Rhode Island coach Jim Baron was not given a technical in the last minute even though he did the same thing as Doctor G did earlier in the game.

Grade for Officials: F (Failure) due to Laziness, Lack of Hustle and Incompetence.

Box Score

Time For AD Brennan and Coach G To Be Terminated - Big Loss To Dukes Is Breaking Point
January 19, 2011
by Jack

Explorers Faithful Deserve Better Then The Mess That This Season Has Become; Immediate House Cleaning Is In-Order.
The Blue and Gold (8-11, 0-4 in A10) have dug themselves into such a huge hole that this season is now becoming a lost cause. No one can be more to blame then Athletic Director Tom Brennan. He brought Dr. John Giannini to La Salle back in 2004 with the promise that he would restore La Salle to a winning tradition. The Duquesne Dukes (12-5, 4-0) are the latest team to benefit from La Salle's inability to play basic college defense or run a simple fundamental offense. President Brother Michael McGuiniss and the La Salle Board of Trustees will face scrutinity from alums and friends of La Salle if action is not taken very soon. This situation has become intolerable for anyone has followed La Salle basketball throughout the years. La Salle must do whatever Xavier and Gonzaga have done to sustain success over the past decade; and that includes building a new arena without delay.

La Salle had 25 turnovers in this game.

Aaric Murray (7 missed shots for 6 points and 7 boards in 30 minutes) and Jerrell Williams (10 turnovers - the Dukes only had 12 as a team, 8 missed shots for 17 points and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes) did not play well. The game was tied at 47 at the half.

Ruben Guillandeaux (24 points in 32 minutes) reached the 1,000 point mark in the game; he is the 50th Explorer to reach that number. Tyreek Duren (9 points in 31 minutes) and Cole Stefan (8 points in 22 minutes) played well offensively but there really was very little defense. Duquesne never trailed in the second half.

At this point anyone with an understanding of the college game including broadcast commentator Steve Degler or former La Salle Guard Doug Overton should be given the opportunity to coach this squad.

Duquesne 88, La Salle 71 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Ruben Guillandeaux.

LaSalle shot 45% from the field on 29 for 65 (and 44% from beyond the arc on 8 for 18) and 46% from the foul line (5 for 11). Coaching Grade: F

Up Next: at Rhode Island on Saturday 1/22 2pm

Officials: Bill McCarthy, Frank Scagliotta and Gary Prager.
The refs were awful in this contest as they allowed the Dukes to get away with slapping and reaching in. If we had a real Athletic Director Frank Scagliotta would never have been allowed to enter let alone officiate a game at Gola Arena.

Is There A Coach In The House?
January 15, 2011
by Jack

Explorers Lack of Basic Defensive Positioning and Lack of Offensive Strategy By Coaching Staff Dooms Team Against UMass.
La Salle (8-10, 0-3 in A10) let another game slip away by being unable to play simple defense or use smart offensive strategy. This is not difficult to teach but you must have a commitment to intense defensive play as a coaching staff. I don't see how Dr. John Giannini and the coaching staff he has assembled can turn this season around. Today, they lost to a mediocre Massachusetts Minutemen (10-6, 2-1) team that they should have beaten by 15 points. Aaric Murray (10 missed shots for 12 points) and Ruben Guillandeaux (9 missed shots for 7 points) took turn missing shots. The Explorers trailed 43-33 at the break.

Jerrell Williams (20 points, 8 boards in 27 minutes) almost willed the team to victory. He fought for points and showed why he is the true leader on this team. The Explorers pulled to within 3 at 74-71 with 37 seconds remaining. Coach Giannini called a timeout with 9 seconds remaining just prior to Ruben launching and missing a trey attempt. Instead of calling a play for Cole Stefan (6 points on 2 for 4 trey attempts) or Sam Mills (3 points on 1 for 2 trey attempts), he lets Ruben take the last trey attempt which bricked off the front of the rim just like the shot he took right after Coach Giannini called a timeout. This is insanity.

UMass 74, La Salle 71 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Jerrell Williams.

LaSalle shot 39% from the field on 26 for 56 (and 32% from beyond the arc on 7 for 22) and 86% from the foul line (12 for 14). Coaching Grade: F

Up Next: Duquesne on Wednesday 1/19 7pm

Officials: Kevin Ferguson, Lamar Simpson and Quintin Murphy.

The refs called the game relatively correct with a few questionable calls.

Penn Nearly Pulls "Miracle at the Gola Arena" As Williams Makes Major Blunder Near End of Regulation
January 12, 2011
by Chinkster

Explorers Nearly Choke Against Big 5 Rival Penn.
The Explorers (8-9, 0-2 in A10) barely beat the Pennsylvania Quakers (5-7) as the unthinkable nearly happened. Aaric Murray responded from being forced to sit out the previous game... at least on the offensive end of the court. Murray had 19 points and 8 boards in 32 minutes. The Explorers led 37-29 at the half. Tyreek Duren added 15 points in 39 minutes.

Ruben Guillandeaux restored confidence in himself and the coaching staff with 24 points, 5 boards and 3 assists in 36 minutes. Jerrell Williams (10 points)should be held out of the start of the next game for committing one of the dumbest fouls imaginable. He put Penn on the foul line with 24 seconds to go when a Penn player was hoisting a three-point attempt and the Explorers ahead by 3 points. Of course, the Penn player hit all 3 free throws to force the extra session. Guillandeaux dominated the extra session as he scored 6 points to lead the Explorers to victory.

La Salle 89, Penn 83 OT FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Ruben Guillandeaux.

LaSalle shot 50% from the field on 29 for 58 (and 57% from beyond the arc on 8 for 14) and 72% from the foul line (23 for 32). Coaching Grade: D

Post-game Press Conference

Up Next: at UMass on Saturday 1/15 1pm

Officials: Paul Faia, Jeff Anderson and Jeff Janosik.

The refs called a good game.

Doc Sends Message With Murray Benching in Loss to Richmond
January 8, 2011
by Jack

Explorers Hang Tough For 1st Half; Williams Scores 1,000th Point.
The Blue and Gold (7-9, 0-2 in A10) fell to the Richmond Spiders (13-4, 2-0) as Explorers' coach John Giannini benched Aaric Murray for the entire game in an attempt to jump start his struggling squad. The Explorers trailed 28-14 with 5:18 remaining in the half but battled to tie the score at 32 at the break as Sam Mills (7 points, 3 assists) hit a trey with 4 seconds to go before the break.

Ruben Guillandeaux should have been benched as he played 20 minutes and shot 0 for 8 from the field, had 2 rebounds, a steal, 1 assist and 2 turnovers and finished with 2 points. Jerrell Williams had a bad game also in shooting 3 for 11 and finishing with 8 points and 7 boards in 28 minutes. Cole Stefan led the team with 15 points in just 18 minutes while shooting 4 for 7 and added 3 boards. Earl Pettis had 12 points and Tyreek Duren chipped in with 10 points. The Explorers had no answer for the Princeton-style offense that Richmond was running. Richmond grabbed the lead at 59-57 with 9:53 to go and never looked back.

Richmond 87, La Salle 68 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Cole Stefan.

LaSalle shot 34% from the field on 23 for 67 (and 29% from beyond the arc on 6 for 21) and 84% from the foul line (16 for 19). Coaching Grade: D

Post-game Press Conference

Up Next: Penn Wednesday 1/12 7pm

Officials: John Hughes, Earl Walton and Frankie Bordeaux.

The refs did not affect the outcome of the game.

Defenseless Explorers All Fogged Up near DC
January 5, 2011
by Jack

Earl Pettis Provides Offense But Lack of Defense Prevents Victory Against Bottom Dweller GW.
The La Salle Explorers (7-8, 0-1 in A10) continue to frustrate their fans as they dropped the Atlantic 10 Opener to the George Washington Colonials (8-6, 1-0). Explorers' Coach John Giannini needs to realize he doesn't have the answers and must immediately find an assistant or a consultant who does. His lack of confidence in himself is a reflection of his team (as is evident in his post-game press conferences). Earl Pettis (21 points) showed that he can play offensively in this league but needs to be more consistent. Ruben Guillandeaux showed his lack of commitment in this contest as he was 0 for 5 from the field, had 3 turnovers to zero assists and 1 rebound in 22 minutes.

Jerrell Williams had 10 points and 11 boards in 28 minutes and even got a technical which was a reflection of the corrupt officiating during the game. Aaric Murray contribute 16 points, 6 boards and a block in 27 minutes. Sam Mills had 8 points, 5 assists and no turnovers.

George Washington 72, La Salle 67 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Earl Pettis.

LaSalle shot 38% from the field on 23 for 60 (and 45% from beyond the arc on 9 for 20) and 63% from the foul line (12 for 19). Coaching Grade: D-

Up Next: Richmond Saturday 1/8 4pm

Tyreek Duren (8 points, 4 boards and 3 assists against GW) won his third A10 Rookie of the Week Award for his work last week. Duren averaged 18.5 points per game and five assists in two contests last week for the Explorers.

Officials: Tim Clougherty, D.J. Carstensen and Michael Roberts.

The refs were blatantly letting GW get away with contact. Jerrell Williams was pushed and even tackled on one play but nothing was called! In the second half Carstensen made a call against Jerrell for an offensive foul when it was clear to everyone else that Williams had been hacked several times on the play. Jerrell correctly told him that he was crazy to make such a call and received a technical from the ref who should be removed from the A10 rotation.

Explorers Finally Show Signs Of Life and Play Some Defense Against Lowly Binghamton
January 2, 2011
by BK Seginsda

Tyreek Duren and Explorers Play Tougher Defense And Prevail.
The La Salle Explorers (7-7) were desperate for a win after blowing the first 4 games (all games they should have won) of a 5 game homestand. The lowly Binghamton Bearcats (3-10) were the victims in this contest. Coach John Giannini is still in the hot seat as he has to continue to stress team defense and a strong team concept as this team is still capable of winning 20 or more games. Atlantic 10 play begins Wednesday at George Washington. The Explorers need to beat Penn later this month and go 12-4 in the A10 to reach 20 wins before the A10 Tournament begins. The Explorers bolted to a 52-38 halftime lead in this game as Tyreek Duren (18 points and 3 steals) had a perfect shooting first half going 4 for 4 from the field and 3 for 3 from the charity stripe for 11 points at the break.

Jerrell Williams had 12 points and 9 boards in 24 minutes. Aaric Murray chipped in with 8 points, 7 boards and 2 steals in 24 minutes). Ruben Guillandeaux and Sam Mills each had 10 points. Cole Stefan is starting to recover from his concussion symptoms and was able to play 13 minutes and put in 6 points to go with 2 rebounds and a steal.

La Salle 87, Binghamton 64 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Tyreek Duren.

LaSalle shot 47% from the field on 33 for 71 (and 33% from beyond the arc on 7 for 21) and 67% from the foul line (14 for 21). Coaching Grade: C+

Post-game Press Conference

Up Next: at George Washington Wednesday 1/5 7pm

Officials: George Harry, Mike McCloskey and John Gwynn.

The officials made too many calls against La Salle (19) to just 16 for Binghamton.

Latest Loss To Lowly Towson Signals Need for New Coach
December 29, 2010
by BK Seginsda

Dr. John Giannini's Inability To Teach Aggressive Defense Causes Latest Loss.
The lack of defense by La Salle (6-7) handed lowly Towson (4-7) a victory at Gola Arena. Coach John Giannini has put himself into the hot seat as he has allowed his team to play without a basic defensive presence that teaches you must keep yourself between the man with the ball and the basket. This is something every successful Division One team must have.

Jerrell Williams has become the star of the team and contributed a career best 32 points to go with 13 boards and a steal in 39 minutes. Aaric Murray had a disappointing game (11 points, 5 boards and 2 blocks in 38 minutes). Ruben Guillandeaux was out with the flu. Tyreek Duren had a career best 19 points and 6 assists. Earl Pettis scored 12 points to go with 3 steals.

Towson scored on a trey to tie the game at 86 with 1.8 seconds remaining. Everyone, except the La Salle coaching staff, knew that the Explorers should have fouled immediately to prevent Towson from even attempting a trey.

Towson won it in overtime and Towson coach Pat Kennedy called the victory Towson's biggest since he took over the program seven years ago.

Towson 93, La Salle 90 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Jerrell Williams.

LaSalle shot 56% from the field on 34 for 61 (and 50% from beyond the arc on 6 for 12) and 76% from the foul line (16 for 21). Coaching Grade: F

Up Next: Binghamton Sunday 1/2 2pm

Officials: Joe Demayo, Dwayne Gladden, Brian O'Connell.

The officials missed obvious calls against both teams and did not help the home team with quick whistles against La Salle.

Broncs Bombers And Blockers Too Much For Explorers To Handle
December 22, 2010
by Chinkster

Coaching Staff Has To Be Held Accountable For Latest Debacle
The lack of defensive intensity is something that could ultimately doom the Explorers to an awful season. Coach John Giannini has to learn that he must demand each player to play intense defense on each and every possession. Tonight, the offense was awful as they allowed the Rider Broncs to throw 10 shots right back at them! 10 blocks for Rider? The Explorers (6-6) have continued an ugly trend of turning Tom Gola Arena into a home court disadvantage. Rider (8-5) is not as talented as La Salle but the short-handed Broncs still managed to score 77 points.

Jerrell Williams had a career best 24 points to go with 14 boards and a steal. Aaric Murray joined Williams with a double-double (13 points, 10 boards and 2 blocks). Ruben Guillandeaux and Sam Mills each had 10 points. La Salle led at the break 34-33. Earl Pettis only scored 7 points.

The second half turned into a mess as the Explorers allowed Rider to outscore them 24-14 in the final 10 minutes of the half. Everyone left the game with a sick feeling in their stomach.

Rider 77, La Salle 68 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Jerrell Williams.

LaSalle shot 36% from the field on 24 for 67 (and 23% from beyond the arc on 3 for 13) and 71% from the foul line (17 for 24). Coaching Grade: F

Up Next: Towson Wednesday 12/29 7pm

Officials: Kevin Ferguson, Jeff Janosik and Ken Turner.

The officials missed obvious calls against both teams but did not determine the outcome of the game.

Lethargic Explorers Failure To Play With Defensive Intensity Hurts
December 17, 2010
by Jack

Lack of Defensive Intensity Reflects Poorly On Coaching Staff
Coach John Giannini and his coaching staff really need to show improvement in their in-game coaching strategy which needs to include playing defense with tenacity and intensity. Over the past few years Giannini has not shown improvement in this area. This is fundamental to success at the Division One level. La Salle cannot continue to lose to inferior opponents at Tom Gola Arena and expect to build a new arena within the next few years. La Salle (6-5) dropped a game to a Bucknell (5-6) team that came in averaging just 65 points - to surrender 89 points on your home court is damn near impossible.

Aaric Murray had a career best 28 points. Jerrell Williams chipped in with 15 points and Ruben Guillandeaux had 13 points. La Salle trailed at the break 36-28. Tyreek Duren only played 10 minutes as he was injured in the first half (hip flexor).

Bucknell 89, La Salle 77 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.

LaSalle shot 51% from the field on 29 for 57 (and 40% from beyond the arc on 6 for 15) and 59% from the foul line (13 for 22). Coaching Grade: F

Up Next: Rider Wednesday 12/22 7pm

Post-game Press Conference - Giannini said "we needed this loss!"

Officials: John Hughes, Jeff Clark and Earl Walton.

The officials did not determine the outcome of the game.

Explorers Defeat #12 Villanova Except Officials Fix Game At End Without A Doubt
December 12, 2010
by Jack

Explorers Clearly Dominate Wildcats But Officials One-Sidedness So Obvious That Announcers Refer to Corrupt Officiating on ESPNU Broadcast.
The La Salle Explorers are now 6-4 due to the most corrupt officiating effort ever witnessed at Tom Gola Arena. The #12 Villanova Wildcats (8-1) were treated better then any road team in the history of the NCAA. The video evidence and stats are overwhelming to even neutral observers. Ref Tim Higgins is well beyond his capacity to officiate games any more as he can barely get down the court. Refs Pat Driscoll and Jeff Anderson were just plain corrupt. The less aggressive Explorers were whistled for 21 fouls to only 15 for the Wildcats. La Salle given just 13 foul shots compared to 34 for Villanova despite the fact that the Explorers took 66 shots to only 54 for Villanova from the field. Jerrell Williams (20 points, 7 boards, 5 assists, 2 turnovers and 2 steals in 35 minutes) was clearly and blatantly hacked by Villanova's Maurice Sutton with 1:14 to go (La Salle leading 79-78) as he went to the basket to seal the game yet Higgins, Driscoll (who had a clear view) and Anderson failed to blow their whistle. On the other end moments later, Anderson called a continuation play foul against La Salle where Sam Mills (14 points, 3 boards) barely touched the Villanova player. The lack of call against Villanova and the ensuing continue of play all but gift wrapped the victory for Villanova. Murray was limited to 12 minutes due to quick foul calls against him.

The Explorers came out with a passion in the first half. Ruben Guillandeaux (10 points, zero boards in 27 minutes) nailed a trey for a 14-4 advantage with 16:01 left. Devon White hit a jumper for a 24-12 Explorer advantage with 9:05 left. With Aaric Murray (4 points, 5 boards) saddled with 2 fouls and forced to sit on the bench, Villanova took advantage by closing out the half with a one point lead 38-37.Tyreek Duren (13 points, 3 steals) provided a spark and gave La Salle the lead at 74-68 by hitting a couple of free throws. Sam Mills missed a trey that would have tied the game at 84 at the buzzer.

Villanova 84, La Salle 81 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Jerrell Williams.

LaSalle shot 47% from the field on 31 for 66 (and 44% from beyond the arc on 8 for 18) and 85% from the foul line (11 for 13). Coaching Grade: B-

Up Next: Bucknell Frday 12/17 7pm

Officials: Tim Higgins, Pat Driscoll and Jeff Anderson.

The officials were a joke down the stretch.

Grade for Officials: F (Failure) due to Blatant Corruption by Entire Crew

Box Score

Explorers Survive Attack By Terriers
December 9, 2010
by Jack

Explorers Battle Back To Win 84-81.
La Salle is now 6-3 this season as they battled a very tough Boston University Terriers (4-6) team. The Explorers trailed 30-18 with 6:49 left in the first half as they allowed former Explorer Darryl Partin (20 points) to score 5 consecutive points. La Salle closed the deficit to 3 on a trey by Ruben Guillandeaux (21 points, 4 boards in 38 minutes) at the buzzer for a 38-35 score heading into the second half.

The Explorers knew that if they continued to play aggressive basketball that they would prevail. Unfortunately Aaric Murray (12 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks) only played 15 minutes in this contest due to 5 fouls being called on him by a "whistle happy" crew of officials who should have been at a CYO game. Maybe they thought the fans were there to see them instead of Murray. During the last minute "crunch time" it was tough to witness the Explorers miss 4 free throws. However, it was a critical missed free throw by the Terriers with 10 seconds to go that kept La Salle a single point ahead at 82-81. Earl Pettis (19 points and 3 boards in 33 minutes) calmly sank two free throws with 8 seconds remaining. Boston University missed a desperation trey with 2 seconds remaining. The win puts La Salle in a good position by giving them momentum against city rival and Big 5 foe Villanova.

Jerrell Williams (13 points and 6 boards in 22 minutes), Steve Weingarten (8 points, 10 boards, 3 steals in 28 minutes) and Tyreek Duren (9 points, 2 steals and a block in 35 minutes) also played aggressively throughout the game.

La Salle 84, Boston University 81 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Ruben Guillandeaux.

La Salle freshman Tyreek Duren has been named the Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Rookie of the Week earlier this week for the second time this season. Duren averaged nine points and six assists for the Explorers in two contests last week. The freshman is averaging 7.4 points and 5.1 assists per game. He is second in the Atlantic 10 in assists per game.

LaSalle shot 48% from the field on 29 for 60 (and 33% from beyond the arc on 5 for 15) and 72% from the foul line (21 for 29). Coaching Grade: C-

Up Next: Villanova Sunday 12/12 2pm on ESPNU

Officials: Gary Pucino, Sean Hull and D.J. Carstensen.
The officials kept the game close for Boston University. A couple of the calls against Murray were bogus and should never be called at the college level. This is the fourth contest that the Explorers have had Gary Pucino officiate in! All four of those games either saw Murray in early foul trouble or the other team hacking him at will. I don't think it would be wise for Pucino to officiate any more Explorer contests this season.

Explorers Lasooed Cowboys But Failed To Hold On
December 4, 2010
by Jack

Explorers Play Double Overtime Thriller at Palestra Before Falling 92-87.
The La Salle Explorers (5-3) played a very tough first half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-1) who were playing their first road game of the season. The Explorers trailed 25-21 with 3:47 remaining in the half. La Salle then went on a 12-0 run to close out the half as Aaric Murray (23 points, 13 boards, 5 blocks, an assist and a steal in 47 minutes) hit a trey with 2 seconds left to close out the half.

The Explorers continued to play effectively in the second half as Earl Pettis (7 points, 5 assists and 5 boards) extended the Explorer lead 43-33 on a layup with 14:05 to play in regulation. La Salle had the opportunity to seal the game when Jerrell Williams (23 points, 9 boards, 6 turnovers and a steal in 41 minutes) walked to the foul line with 1:12 remaining in regulation and the Explorers holding a 67-63 advantage. Instead Williams missed the front-end of a one-and-one. Oklahoma State closed out the half by scoring the last four points including a jumper with 11 seconds remaining. The game was tied at 67 and headed to overtime.

In the first overtime it appeared the Cowboys thought they had the game won when the nailed a trey with 3:09 to go for a 77-71 lead. But the Explorers battled back as Murray and Williams each hit a couple of free throws before Murray hit a jumper with 8 seconds left to tie the score at 79.

In the second overtime the Explorers again fell behind but this time could not recover despite a trey from Ruben Guillandeaux (11 points on 4 for 16 shooting and 8 boards in 41 minutes) with 49 seconds left to pull La Salle within a couple at 89-87. This one is a loss that can be blamed on failure to execute at "crunch time" by the Explorers.

Oklahoma State 92, La Salle 87 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.

LaSalle shot 41% from the field on 32 for 79 (and 38% from beyond the arc on 8 for 21) and 68% from the foul line (15 for 22). Coaching Grade: B-

Up Next: at Boston University Thursday 12/9 7pm

Post-game Press Conference

Officials: Tracy Woodson, Frank Scaggliotta and Paul Faia.
The officials called the game as it played it out and there were no bizarre calls. Scaggliotta and Faia were warned by the A10 prior to the start of the season that this could be there last season if they did not improve this year. John Giannini talked to Scaggliotta at the start of the gameto remind him that it is a La Salle home game at the Palestra.

Explorers Finally Exterminate Determined Hornets
November 29, 2010
by Chinkster

Explorers Awake In-Time To Defeat Pesky Delaware State 65-61.
The Explorers (5-2) sleep walked in the first half and left for the half trailing 39-31 versus the Delaware State Hornets (2-2). The Explorers shot an unbelievable 73.7% from the field in the half but had 9 turnovers. Aaric Murray (4 points in the half) was only the court for about 7 minutes as ref Joe Lindsay incorrectly called Aaric for his second foul. The Hornet player clearly hit Aaric in the face and the call should have gone the other way. Coach Giannini should have been on the floor screaming. The crazy officiating at Gola Arena, in particular, continues. Steve Weingarten (6 points, a block and a rebound in the half) provided a spark that kept the game close.

The second half started out worse as La Salle fell behind by 14 points at 47-33 with 17:18 left in the game. Earl Pettis (10 points, 7 boards and 3 assists), Weingarten (4 for 4 on FG and 2 for 2 on FT for 11 points in only 15 minutes for the game) and Tyreek Duren (9 points, 7 assists and 2 steals) kept the Explorers within striking distance. Delaware State made their last field goal with 9:17 remaining and scored their last point, a free throw, with 7:22 left in the game nursing an 8 point lead 61-53. Murray pulled the Explorers within 2 at 61-59 with 4:40 remaining. Ruben Guillandeaux (12 points, 6 assists) gave La Salle their first lead at 62-61 with 1:05 left on a trey. Duren closed out the game with 3 free throws.

La Salle 65, Delaware State 61 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Steve Weingarten.

LaSalle shot 53% from the field on 27 for 51 (and 36% from beyond the arc on 4 for 11) and 88% from the foul line (7 for 8). Coaching Grade: C-

Up Next: Oklahoma State Saturday 12/4 1pm at The Palestra

Officials: Joe Lindsay, Tim Kelly and Gary Pucino.
The fans at Gola Arena came out to see Aaric Murray play - not some recreational league officials make a joke out of calling the game. Delaware State somehow got to the line 15 times vs. 8 for the Explorers. The second foul call on Murray was outrageous and forced him to miss a significant part of the game.

Explorers Battle Tigers But Cannot Mount Late Comeback
November 24, 2010
by Jack

Explorers Battled #12 Missouri in Cancun Challenge Championship Game But Run Out Of Energy.
The Blue and Gold (4-2) played well in the first half and entered the break tied at 41 against the Missouri Tigers (4-0).

La Salle played tough at the start of the second half. Earl Pettis tossed a perfect game (13 points on 5 for 5 field goals and 3 for 3 on free throws) and showed that he will be a major contributor on the team this year. Devon White (7 points and 8 boards) and Jerrell Williams had 12 points and 4 rebounds while Ruben Guillandeaux added 13 points. Aaric Murray (9 points, 11 boards and 4 blocks) had his night cut short on a foul and subsequent bogus technical foul with 5:01 left; the game was out of reach but it was an unneccessary call. The Missouri player should have been tossed from the game for taunting.

Missouri 83, La Salle 71 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Earl Pettis.

LaSalle shot 53% from the field on 28 for 53 (and 46% from beyond the arc on 6 for 13) and 56% from the foul line (9 for 16). Coaching Grade: B-

Up Next: Delaware State 11/29 7pm at Gola Arena

Officials: Jim Schipper, Peter Juzenas and Mark Maslona.
The crew allowed Missouri players to taunt La Salle players the whole game. The also made a major mistake in giving Aaric a technical; Aaric will be more determined the next game.

Explorers Sail Past Friars in Cancun Challenge 3rd Round
November 23, 2010
by Jack

Aaric Murray Leads Explorers To Championship Game in Cancun.
The Explorers (4-1) played an excellent first half for the second straight game and led the Providence Friars (4-1) 44-28 at the half. Aaric Murray (20 points, 11 boards, and a block) picked up his second personal foul with 13:23 left in the first half and did not return until the second half.

The Explorers played a full 40 minutes in this contest and coasted to an easy victory. Earl Pettis (18 points and 6 boards) and Devon White (11 points and 7 boards) paced the Explorers when Aaric was forced to sit. Jerrell Williams had 13 points and 13 rebounds and was a force. Ruben Guillandeaux (13 points and 3 boards) helped close out the game.

La Salle 84, Providence 73 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.

LaSalle shot 50% from the field on 32 for 64 (and 50% from beyond the arc on 5 for 10) and 65% from the foul line (15 for 23). Coaching Grade: A+

Up Next: #12 Missouri on Wednesday 11/24 in the championship round of the Cancun Challenge in Cancun. Game time approx 9:30pm.

Murray was named Big 5 Player of the Week: Aaric averaged 18.7 points per game and 8.7 boards, 4 blocks and 3.3 steals per game in three contests this past week.

Officials: Gary Pucino, Ken Turner and Darryl Smith.
They made and missed some calls against both teams but overall it was a good officiated game.

Grade for Officials: B (Above Average).

Box Score

Explorers Nearly Let Bears Ruin Their Outing
November 20, 2010
by Jack

Aaric Murray Nearly Records Triple-Double in Second Round of Cancun Challenge.
La Salle (3-1) played an outstanding first half and led the Morgan State Bears (1-2) 39-22 at the break. Aaric Murray (20 points, 11 boards, and a school record 9 blocks) closed out the scoring in the first with an emphatic dunk with 20 seconds to go in the first half.

The Explorers put a scare in the crowd at Gola Arena in the second half by allowing Morgan State to go on a 25-5 to start the half and incredibly take a 47-44 lead with 12:48 remaining. The Explorers finally took the lead for good when Tyreek Duren (14 points, 5 assists and 2 steals) scored at 8:16 for a 53-52 Explorer advantage. Ruben Guillandeaux (16 points and 5 assists) was a key contributor.

La Salle 79, Morgan State 74 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.

LaSalle shot 55% from the field on 30 for 65 (and 30% from beyond the arc on 3 for 10) and 65% from the foul line (22 for 34). Coaching Grade: B

Post Game Press Conference

Up Next: Providence on Tuesday 11/23 in the third round of the Cancun Challenge in Cancun. Game time 4:30pm.

Officials: John Gwynn, Kevin O'Connell and John Regan.
No major complaints about this crew but they made some strange calls and missed obvious ones on both teams.

Grade for Officials: C (Average).

Explorers Run Down Panthers
November 18, 2010
by Jack

Explorers Win Opening Round of the Cancun Challenge 88-74.
The Explorers (2-1) knew that they should win big against Prairie View A&M (1-3) but the first half was very close. Aaric Murray (19 points, 6 boards, and 2 blocks) and Ruben Guillandeaux (17 points and a steal) got the Explorers going to a 15-12 lead with 10:42 left in the first half. La Salle led at the break 39-35.

The Explorers expanded the lead in second half and took control of the contest when Sam Mills (9 points) hit a trey at 13:49 for a 57-46 advantage. Jerrell Williams (21 points, 14 boards and a steal) was a rebounding machine. Devon White (9 points, 7 boards and 5 blocks) played well at both ends of the court. Earl Pettis (7 points and 5 boards in 35 minutes) had his best game as an Explorer. Tyreek Duren added 2 steals and 2 blocks to go with 3 points. There wasn't much drama in the second half except for when ref Joe DeMayo made a bone-headed call against Aaric Murray to foul him out of the contest with 3:30 remaining. Aaric wanted to argue but realized the game was already a victory.

La Salle 88, Prairie View A&M 74 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Jerrell Williams.

LaSalle shot 46% from the field on 30 for 65 (and 40% from beyond the arc on 6 for 15) and 61% from the foul line (22 for 36). Coaching Grade: A

Up Next: Morgan State at Gola Arena for Homecoming on Saturday 11/20 in the second round of the Cancun Challenge. Game time 3:30pm.

Officials: Jeff Clark, Wally Rutecki and Joe DeMayo.
They kept Prairie View A&M in the game by calling Murray for his second foul with 10:08 left in the first half.

Grade for Officials: C (Average).

Box Score

Explorers Put Scare Into Bears
November 16, 2010
by BK Seginsda

Tyreek Duren (#3) blocks shot taken by Baylor's Quincy Acy

Explorers Battle #17 Baylor Bears Before Falling 74-64.
The La Salle Explorers (1-1) went into the hostile Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas and gave the #17th ranked Baylor Bears (2-0) all that they could handle for most of the game. Aaric Murray (17 points, 9 boards, 5 steals and a block), Earl Pettis (6 points, 3 rebounds) and Jerrell Williams (15 points, 9 boards) each had 6 first half points. La Salle trailed at the half 32-29.

The Explorers took the lead early in second half as Ruben Guillandeaux (11 points) connected on a trey to tie the score and then Williams hit a jumper for a 34-32 Explorer lead with 19:08 remaining. The Blue and Gold continued to battle as they cut a 9 point Baylor advantage to 6 on a traditional three-point play by Williams for a 66-60 disadvantage with 2:13 remaining. The upset minded Explorers could not get any closer down the stretch.

Baylor 74, La Salle 64 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Aaric Murray.

LaSalle shot 41% from the field on 27 for 66 (and a poor 24% from beyond the arc on 4 for 17) and a horrific 55% from the foul line (6 for 11). Coaching Grade: B

Up Next: Prairie View A&M at Gola Arena on Thursday 11/18 in the opening round of the Cancun Challenge. Game time 7pm.

Officials: Darron George, Rick Hartzell and Don Daily.
This crew did better then any A10 crew. The only blatant call they missed was when a Baylor player pushed Murray and nothing was called.

Grade for Officials: B (Above Average).

Box Score

Guillandeaux and Duren Win Awards November 15, 2010

Ruben Guillandeaux won the Big 5 Player of the Week Award for his 29 points in a win over Columbia.

Tyreek Duren won the A10 Rookie of the Week Award for his 9 assists in his debut as an Explorer.

Explorers Rally To Trounce Lions
November 12, 2010
by BK Seginsda

Guillandeaux Tames Columbia Lions With 29 Points
The La Salle Explorers (1-0) defeated the Columbia Lions (0-1) 82-71. La Salle started the game on a 24-13 run as Sam Mills (4 points) converted a layup on an assist from Tyreek Duren (8 points, 9 assists, 5 turnovers) with 8:44 remaining in the first half. Aaric Murray (19 points, 8 boards, 4 blocks) was hacked in the paint several times in the first half and nothing was called on Columbia. Columbia took advantage of poor officiating as touch fouls called against Murray and Earl Pettis (8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals) were not called against Columbia at the other end of the floor. Columbia, due to the refs' poor calls, led at the break 41-37.

The Explorers came out flat in the second half and former Explorer Brian Grimes left the Explorers for desperation with a layup at 15:33 and a 56-44 lead for Columbia. Ruben Guillandeaux (29 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) refused to allow La Salle to lose. Ruben made 5 treys and 2 jumpers down the stretch to push the Explorers to the win. Ruben gave the Explorers lead for good with a trey at 4:16 for a 70-67 advantage.

La Salle 82, Columbia 71 FINAL. Explorer Top Performer of the Game: Ruben Guillandeaux.

LaSalle shot 57% from the field on 34 for 60 (and 46% from beyond the arc on 6 for 13) and 62% from the foul line (8 for 13). Coaching Grade: B-

Up Next: at Baylor 2pm on Tuesday 11/16. ESPN

Post-game Press Conference

Officials: Alvin Cox, Donald Eppley and Gary Pucino.
The Atlantic 10 needs to set standards for officials. This crew was a joke, especially Pucino calling an Intentional Foul on Jerrell Williams (6 points, 6 boards) but the rules clearly state that an elbow foul has to be flagrant and the player ejected in order to be called intentional.

Grade for Officials: F (Failure). Poor performing officials have to be removed from the A10 rotation.

Box Score

Explorers Win Exhibition Game
November 7, 2010
by BK Seginsda

Murray Leads Explorers With Double-Double
The Explorers beat Division II Philadelphia University 70-57 in an exhibition game that does not count toward the record. Aaric Murray led La Salle with 20 points and 11 boards. Fifth-year senior Ruben Guillandeaux added 17 points for the Explorers. Freshman Sam Mills added 11 points and had 2 assists, zero turnovers in 38 minutes. Senior Steve Weingarten added 10 points. Earl Pettis had 7 points.

Tyreek Duren injured his hand and did not play but could be ready by Friday.

The season starts November 12 against Columbia at Gola Arena, tipoff is 7pm.

Our annual A-10 standings and post-season predictions for the Explorers follow:

ExpMod	5th - NIT
BK Seginsda	3rd - NCAA
Chinkster	6th - none
Amanda Preston	5th - NIT
The Oz	4th - NIT
Jack	5th - NIT