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Post by hykos1045 on Dec 1, 2020 21:55:22 GMT -5
First game against Towson had somewhat of a scrimmage feel to it. Despite it being MacGillivray's third season and a roster full of his players, they have not been able to have many full practices as a team. The broadcasters said due to COVID protocols they worked out in smaller groups much of the summer. Also they were missing three crucial players from the line-up, and the opponents on the out of conf schedule changed four times before the season even tipped off. They will need to establish some better interior defense as there is a gaping hole left by the graduation of Miller who had the program record for blocks. Towson was allowed to shoot 55% for the game and got out to a 40-15 start that could not be overcome. Rebounding margin was perhaps the biggest setback of the day (-19?).
That's it for the negatives, now on to some silver linings. I thought they never quit on themselves. They had far fewer turnovers than they did at this point last season. They took the early 25 point deficit and halved it during a good scoring stretch, then fell behind again late. They used a deep bench and got key contributions from freshman Haynes with 16 points! She created open shots and got many of them to fall on a night when very few other things were going smoothly. One other positive is the three point shooting depth on the team. The best three point shooters were not even in the lineup, but we had several players connecting from deep. If we can stay selective with our shots I think we have players that will be putting up good averages for the season. It will be a challenging season in many ways but I'm looking forward to seeing their game elevate as a result of their dedication to success.
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Post by gymrat67 on Dec 2, 2020 11:41:55 GMT -5
hykos : Any idea as to why Claire Jacobs, Amy Jacobs, Michelle Kozicki and Jete Nulle DNP ? Might have been the difference between a loss or a win.
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Post by hykos1045 on Dec 2, 2020 19:52:45 GMT -5
hykos : Any idea as to why Claire Jacobs, Amy Jacobs, Michelle Kozicki and Jete Nulle DNP ? Might have been the difference between a loss or a win. These "compliance issues" are not usually/ever embellished for the layman such as myself. My "deepthroat" sources have all either died or moved on but from what I can tell, having Jacobs^2 back in the line-up was indeed the medicine needed. La Salle is on a 15-8 second quarter run, and has capitalized on meaningful contributions from both Jacobs sisters in the second quarter of the monmouth game. On the defense side, La Salle has forced NINETEEN first half turnovers, which doesn't even count the handful of airballs we've received as "rebounds" which undoubtedly has spurred us to this halftime lead. Go Explorers! |
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Post by hykos1045 on Dec 2, 2020 20:01:57 GMT -5
Monmouth WBB uses Sugarhouse Sports Bets, and Big Wave Golden Ale, and Verizon Fios, as broadcast advertisers.
La Salle WBB goes to silent time outs.
Not commenting on the ethics or whatever of sportsbetting and alcohol and other big businesses. Just saying, it's an opportunity forgone for reasons I don't understand.
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Post by hykos1045 on Dec 2, 2020 20:16:16 GMT -5
Spruill is a sharp weapon! Monmouth being absolutely BURIED on both sides of the ball and it's 16-5 this half so far. A weaker opponent that can't get out of their own way, but something that's welcome to see as a La Salle fan, regardless. |
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Post by hykos1045 on Dec 2, 2020 20:26:47 GMT -5
I cannot remember the last time La Salle had such a dominant run shutting down an opponent. Being helped by Monmouth's relative inexperience, but it's something I could get used to!
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Post by belfieldhappyhour on Dec 2, 2020 20:30:24 GMT -5
Up 23 after 3. Not watching, but interesting that Monmouth is just 2-8 from 3pt range. We only have 11 turnovers, a big improvement, but just 3-6 at the FT line.
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Post by gymrat67 on Dec 2, 2020 20:34:56 GMT -5
Monmouth WBB uses Sugarhouse Sports Bets, and Big Wave Golden Ale, and Verizon Fios, as broadcast advertisers. La Salle WBB goes to silent time outs. Not commenting on the ethics or whatever of sportsbetting and alcohol and other big businesses. Just saying, it's an opportunity forgone for reasons I don't understand.    |
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Post by hykos1045 on Dec 2, 2020 20:41:38 GMT -5
Up 23 after 3. Not watching, but interesting that Monmouth is just 2-8 from 3pt range. We only have 11 turnovers, a big improvement, but just 3-6 at the FT line. Monmouth seems all-around incapable offensively... This is like a high school game in many respects. Just hope we don't fall flat when up against better competition from Drexel, Temple and St Joe's in these upcoming December outings. As for the Explorers, they played deep and they have no quit in them. Explorers win! gymrat: nice Australia tribute. I see what you did there... |
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Post by hykos1045 on Dec 6, 2020 6:41:39 GMT -5
Kayla Spruill had a career high 28 pts and 10 rebounds in the win over St Francis PA. She did it on 10 of 14 shooting and is now shooting 9 for 18 for the season from three point range. Spruill was so dialed in yesterday. Looking at the box score shot chart, she hit the six three pointers from five different spots on the floor. Numbers like that are almost unheard of in the women's college game outside of the Top25. (I was going to be very thrilled if we had four players this year shoot 30 percent or better from three.)
A difference in the game, Jordon Lewis shooting 3/4 for 9 points in an 8 point win. How the heck is any opposing team supposed to guard La Salle's multiple three point threats? This is a dangerous offense this year. Look out, Villanova. Mountain has gotten all the players to elevate their respective games and contribute more to the scoring.
Going to have to check the records, but I could not recall a 50 point half for this team before yesterday, with the previous high being 48 at Penn State in 2019. La Salle outscored St Francis 50-36 for the second half of the game after being down 6 at halftime.
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gymratlsc72
Mop-Up Time
Durrett Status
Posts: 103
Likes: 127
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Post by gymratlsc72 on Dec 9, 2020 1:06:40 GMT -5
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Post by hykos1045 on Dec 9, 2020 7:09:14 GMT -5
Free stream is good news, thanks.
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Post by hykos1045 on Dec 9, 2020 18:10:46 GMT -5
Won't lose sleep over this one. It went toe to toe for awhile, then the Wildcats blew the doors off in the second half. Turnovers and defensive rebounding were major shortcomings.
Play-by-play announcer looked at a Villanova offensive foul call when it was a 21 point game and said "the defender might have been moving her feet." *eyeroll*
On the plus side, Jete had her debut and first made three.
Villanova goes to 12 in a row versus the Explorers since 2008-09, and 41-9 all time.
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Post by gymrat67 on Dec 9, 2020 19:42:50 GMT -5
Potpourri :
Break-out game for Molly Masciantonio who scored 10 points ( 4-7 , + 2 free throws ) and demonstrated superb ball-handling skills in 25 mins of play. Looks as if Molly will be an important contributor to the Lady Explorers' anticipated success this season.
After scoring 28 points in her last game against St. Francis of Loretto, Kayla Spruill played only 8 minutes and failed to score against the Wild Kittens, fouling out of the game early in the 3rd quarter.
Villanova star sophomore forward Maddy Siegrist scored 31 seemingly effortless points, after having torched La Salle for 41 points in their meeting last year.
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Post by hykos1045 on Dec 21, 2020 20:17:35 GMT -5
Explorers have one of the youngest two teams in the nation, it seems they have not completely meshed yet but could be an upstart in the A10 as this year progresses. Christmas break got an early start when two local opponents were postponed, however the Explorers are back in action on Monday, 12/28 at Coppin State before the A10 schedule gets underway.
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Post by hykos1045 on Dec 27, 2020 18:37:53 GMT -5
Monday's game at 1pm at Coppin State will be streaming free from the link on both teams' schedule pages.
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Post by gymrat67 on Dec 28, 2020 13:50:46 GMT -5
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Post by gymrat67 on Dec 28, 2020 19:55:13 GMT -5
Claire Jacobs leads La Salle women's basketball in dominant 75 - 49 win at Coppin Stategoexplorers.com/news/2020/12/28/jacobs-leads-womens-basketball-in-dominant-win-at-coppin-state-75-49.aspxClaire Jacobs had 26 points; Jaye Haynes contributed 10 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals ; and Kayla Richardson went 3 - 3 in recording the first points of her collegiate career. Molly Masciantonio, Morgan Adams, Jaye Haynes and Kayla Richardson all showed great promise ; Kayla Spruill left the game with an unspecified injury and did not return to action. Eleven Lady Explorers scored in the game.
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Post by hykos1045 on Jan 1, 2021 20:02:33 GMT -5
I'm crushed! La Salle used up too much of the 8 seconds getting the ball up the court, then went for two, down three as time expired.
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Post by gymrat67 on Jan 2, 2021 11:45:25 GMT -5
Sub - trivia :
In looking at the boxscore, very uncharacteristically, Claire Jacobs scored only 2 points ( 1 - 8 ) and grabbed only 1 rebound;
Freshman Jaye Haynes is emerging as a future star : she again shot 3 - 3 ( 1 for 1 from 3 pt. range ) and 6 - 6 on free throws;
Kayla Spruill DNP. Was anything mentioned about her current injury status following the Coppin State game ?
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Post by explorer88 on Jan 2, 2021 11:50:56 GMT -5
Wasn’t that considered a bad loss? URI is pretty bad usually. Would hope we could take care of them fairy easily.
Looks like they give more minutes than Ash does.
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Post by hykos1045 on Jan 2, 2021 15:21:54 GMT -5
Wasn’t that considered a bad loss? URI is pretty bad usually. Would hope we could take care of them fairy easily. Looks like they give more minutes than Ash does. It's a shit loss to a winless team. But the PBP crew said that URI was difficult to scout because they had some lineup changes and a long layoff. They killed us on the glass. We absolutely need the rebounding to show up against a very good top 5 in conf Mass team tomorrow. Then next weekend SJU at home is a crucial game. |
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Post by hykos1045 on Jan 2, 2021 15:23:32 GMT -5
Sub - trivia :In looking at the boxscore, very uncharacteristically, Claire Jacobs scored only 2 points ( 1 - 8 ) and grabbed only 1 rebound; Freshman Jaye Haynes is emerging as a future star : she again shot 3 - 3 ( 1 for 1 from 3 pt. range ) and 6 - 6 on free throws; Kayla Spruill DNP. Was anything mentioned about her current injury status following the Coppin State game ? I am ecstatic about Haynes play as a rookie. She is the real deal. Hill is also by far the best PG this team has had in 30 years. |
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Post by hykos1045 on Jan 8, 2021 19:09:07 GMT -5
FOWL TROUBLE
Color me a skeptic of the 12-deep rotation against SJU. That, and, Coach Griffin is a brilliant mastermind who coached players up, and in the end, found the right adjustment for all that La Salle's defense threw at them.
Highlights:
*Held Hawks leading scorer, Jekot to just 3 pts and 3 boards on 1/10 shooting.
*Forced 15 first half turnovers
Lowlights: The offense was kept out of rhythm, disappeared from the 3-pt line for the entire first half which is the team's greatest asset coming in. Despite advantages in Turnover margin (+4) and trips to the line (27-21), failed to convert these into points. Five made baskets in transition for how many turnovers SJU had is a missed opportunity. Left 16 points at the free throw line and gave points back to the Hawks despite a cleaner game on the boards and staying out of foul trouble, in general.
Explorers will go back at it against the same Hawks on Sunday, 1/10 at 2pm in the friendlier confines of Tom Gola Arena, televised on CBS Sports Network.
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Post by hykos1045 on Jan 10, 2021 14:01:51 GMT -5
Rhode Island: They just dumped a decent Davidson squad by 18, and they appeared to be so much improved ever since they dusted off the COVID rust, winning their third straight. They are extremely well coached. Our 3 pt loss at the buzzer doesn't look quite that bad now.
Right Now on CBS Sports Network, La Salle and St Joe's are squaring off. I don't think I commented on their last meeting which was a drubbing by the Hawks. I really hope to see improvement today after adjustments get made.
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Post by explorer88 on Jan 10, 2021 15:55:53 GMT -5
Today was a much different team. They dismantled the Hawks almost start to finish. I though Coach Mt. did a nice job pushing the team to attack the rim which they did very well. That also helped open the floor for the wings.
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Post by hykos1045 on Jan 10, 2021 21:12:16 GMT -5
Today was a much different team. They dismantled the Hawks almost start to finish. I though Coach Mt. did a nice job pushing the team to attack the rim which they did very well. That also helped open the floor for the wings. It was a thrill to see this dominating response from the coach and team after an uncharacteristically bad loss to the Hawks on Friday. Today was an important confidence builder. St. Joe's came in undefeated and you might call them 15 point favorites, but La Salle's game plan was aggressive and smart and they executed everything. Kudos to the team for setting the right tone early (7-2, then 32-19) and making the necessary adjustments to avenge Friday's loss. With how much talent on this La Salle team and how well they play together, it is easy to forget sometimes that they are tied for the youngest roster in Division 1, with only one senior and a core of mostly sophomores, all of whom are very capable scorers. After today's statement win, the ceiling is truly #Limitless. |
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Post by gymrat67 on Jan 11, 2021 15:08:16 GMT -5
Sub - trivia :
Claire Jacobs, Kate Hill and freshman Michelle Kozicki played brilliantly !
Junior forward Kayla Spruill DNP for the fourth straight game since being injured in the Coppin State game. Here's hoping she has not re-injured her ACL in either knee.
Sophomore guard Christina Kline has seemingly struggled whenever she has been afforded PT thus far this season.
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Post by hykos1045 on Jan 13, 2021 8:38:53 GMT -5
Most of the team's struggles seem to be health related limitations hindering two veteran players, which is a shame. but it is encouraging to see the team chemistry, no signs of selfishness on this team. They're very hard to guard when they distribute the ball.
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Post by hykos1045 on Jan 13, 2021 20:58:10 GMT -5
Wow, great to see the women's team defense rally together the last six seconds and stave off a furious comeback attempt by a favored dragons team. A 58-55 Win.
In the final six seconds, C.J. had an offensive rebound, made two free throws and had a defensive rebound. The Dragons last shot rimmed out right before time expired. Clutch plays down the stretch sealed the win for the Explorers. Make that two city wins in a row. Wins are able to happen when defense is the whole team's focus, and then after that, getting some key contributors make plays on offense sealed the deal. Here we go!
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