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Post by expfan95 on Feb 29, 2024 12:06:37 GMT -5
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Post by explorer88 on Feb 29, 2024 12:58:36 GMT -5
For me, excluding those 2 I would name the following:
Memorable - Opening night against Virginia Tech. Placed was packed and for a night we had an arena(home) to play in. We didn't care about anything except we had a home. This changed quickly as we picked off the the issues we the design etc... but for one night it was perfect. We beat Tech that night and probably had no business winning but no one was going to beat us that night.
Disappointing - There are many disappointing games but I can't pick one over another as most sucked the same.
One game that for me was a horrible display from our program is when Marist came during Billy Hahn's last year ad had us down 27-1 in the first 10 minutes of the game.
Another one was a Satuarday afternoon beating at the hands of Lamar Odom and Rhode Island. I was so pissed and ran down the steps to go yell at Tom Brennan you better find a new coach. I believe Speedy was fired 2 months later. I think I have the year right.
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Post by thelasallelunatic on Feb 29, 2024 13:12:15 GMT -5
For me, excluding those 2 I would name the following: Memorable - Opening night against Virginia Tech. Placed was packed and for a night we had an arena(home) to play in. We didn't care about anything except we had a home. This changed quickly as we picked off the the issues we the design etc... but for one night it was perfect. We beat Tech that night and probably had no business winning but no one was going to beat us that night. Disappointing - There are many disappointing games but I can't pick one over another as most cucked the same. One game that for me was a horrible display from our program is when Marist came during Billy Hahn's last year ad had us down 27-1 in the first 10 minutes of the game. Another one was a Satuarday afternoon beating at the hands of Lamar Odom and Rhode Island. I was so pissed and ran down the steps to go yell at Tom Brennan you better find a new coach. I believe Speedy was fired 2 months later. I think I have the year right. The Marist game was Thanksgiving eve of 02. Most disappointing game for me was Penn in 04 when we lost a sold out midweek matinee like 71-47 and we were 4 point favorites. It's when I started to sour on Gary Neal. |
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Post by mookie on Feb 29, 2024 13:41:22 GMT -5
For me, excluding those 2 I would name the following: Memorable - Opening night against Virginia Tech. Placed was packed and for a night we had an arena(home) to play in. We didn't care about anything except we had a home. This changed quickly as we picked off the the issues we the design etc... but for one night it was perfect. We beat Tech that night and probably had no business winning but no one was going to beat us that night. Disappointing - There are many disappointing games but I can't pick one over another as most sucked the same. One game that for me was a horrible display from our program is when Marist came during Billy Hahn's last year ad had us down 27-1 in the first 10 minutes of the game. Another one was a Satuarday afternoon beating at the hands of Lamar Odom and Rhode Island. I was so pissed and ran down the steps to go yell at Tom Brennan you better find a new coach. I believe Speedy was fired 2 months later. I think I have the year right. Odom was 98/99 I think. Speedy was fired in 2001? |
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Post by coqui900 on Feb 29, 2024 14:09:13 GMT -5
Oh man, so many good ones!
I was a junior the year Gola answered. I worked for TV56 and did the camera (we still had the track) for the first women's game, which I believe happened before the first men's game. The first men's game was also a blast.
Senior year, I money laundered my food account plan (an Explorer tradition) and used part of the proceeds to win an auction. I got to sit on the bench during an ESPN2 game against UMass -- which also got me a signed ball from the entire team and a pre-match dinner with the boys at the late, great Intermissions.
We had a really heartbreaking loss my senior year against a damn good GW team. We were up by 1 or tied late. They had this fantastic 5'8" guard Shawnta Rodgers. Donnie guarded him one-on-one really well but Shawnta managed to squeeze off enough room for the win at the buzzer.
Another heartbreaker is when Towson State beat us for their last win before they went on some insane losing streak.
Some of my favorite wins -- we played Dayton in 2008. We were down 3 with a few seconds left, and G drew up this really great out-of-bounds play where either Steve Smith or Darnell Harris (forget who) were used as a decoy, which got Sherman Diaz wide open from the opposite corner. POW! Tie game, and we pulled away in OT.
The NIT home game was not a disappointment by any means. That was a really great experience even with the loss.
We had a crazy 4OT game at Central Connecticut one year, when we started 9-0 or something like that. The next game was against a really feisty Florida International team (they had a kid who led the country in rebounds, I think.) FIU had a pretty big league because we didn't have legs, but we pulled out the win with a wild comeback. I think we may have been down 15 or so with 5 minutes left.
We had a game against USC with a sold-out gym. We beat the Trojans and their coach got fired the next day. (Or maybe that was against Florida State?) I always liked that.
One of the key wins in 2012-2013 was against Nova. Duren pulled a rabbit out of his hat. He hit a bomb late in regulation to tie it up. Then he went nuts in OT.
I wasn't at the game, but I think Marvin O'Connor scored like 302059230894 points in the final minute against us at Gola? We still won.
We had one of those early morning ESPN 24-hour tip-off games against Quinnipiac. That was ROWDY. Whole campus was drunk as hell.
I have no memory of who it was against. But we were struggling against some low-conference team. G was having one of his near seizure conniptions. We called a timeout, and the assistants pulled him back and he made the team deal with the timeout themselves. Darnell Harris (what a fantastic player) took the reigns and was going over whatever with the whiteboard in his hand. We pulled out that win. I was sitting right behind the bench and saw the whole thing unfold.
We played Bucknell in 2012-13 (I think it's the right year) when they were real good. They had Muscala. The defensive scheme we had that night was insane, and we put a really frustrated Muscala on the bench since we were shutting him down. (G could really coach.)
But the absolute best was The Butler Game. That was the best live sporting event of my lifetime until I went to two Phillies playoff games the past two seasons. (I mean, I got to be a part of the greatest atmosphere in US sports history, and I'm not exaggerating.) I went with two of my closest friends from school, and my friends' dad who was also an alum. Just a special game and night throughout. I had a major outburst of "allergies" that made me eyes well up with tears when we won and had the SECOND crowd storm. I wasn't alone -- hugged so many people I didn't know in the march back to the nursing school parking lot on the bridge.
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Post by luhoopsfan on Feb 29, 2024 14:15:50 GMT -5
This was my favorite memory. I loved this team and this night in particular was an absolute zoo in the student section. Someone had a bunch of black T shirts with “K’zell 3:16” in white lettering on them.
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Post by coqui900 on Feb 29, 2024 14:30:29 GMT -5
This was my favorite memory. I loved this team and this night in particular was an absolute zoo in the student section. Someone had a bunch of black T shirts with “K’zell 3:16” in white lettering on them. Ha! That was the game where I got to sit on the bench! |
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Post by coqui900 on Feb 29, 2024 14:34:05 GMT -5
Man, I know there are problems with Gola for a bunch of reasons. But when that place is packed, it's an absolute madhouse and hornet's nest. This hot, sweaty, nasty glorified high school gym but with Philadelphians going nutty and making the floor shake.
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MisterD
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Post by MisterD on Feb 29, 2024 14:37:44 GMT -5
Ha, I'm definitely on TV repeatedly in this UMass game.
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Post by crayzeeguy on Feb 29, 2024 14:40:58 GMT -5
We had a game against USC with a sold-out gym. We beat the Trojans and their coach got fired the next day. (Or maybe that was against Florida State?) I always liked that. Great game. Bibby got fired after that loss back in 2004, 4 games into that season. Steve Smith had 27pts/11 rebounds. |
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MisterD
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Post by MisterD on Feb 29, 2024 14:44:08 GMT -5
The K'Zell 3:16 in the camera's face at 1:39:45 is one of my roommates. I'm a white bucket hat and facepaint bottom left in the pan out just after. Good stuff.
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Post by expfan95 on Feb 29, 2024 15:41:02 GMT -5
Bring Back this guy for one more time:  |
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Post by expfan95 on Feb 29, 2024 15:47:00 GMT -5
Butler Court storm:
Some other links:
From the Documentary
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Post by belfieldhappyhour on Feb 29, 2024 19:36:34 GMT -5
I wasn't at the game, but I think Marvin O'Connor scored like 302059230894 points in the final minute against us at Gola? We still won. Yup, 18 points in the last minute. I sat next to Jackie Scheuer, the AP writer. Also the night I lost all respect for Martelli. Cursed me out postgame after cursing out the refs. Wanted to punch him in the face, but since I was working, I brushed it off as a heat of the moment thing. Came to realize, that's just how he was, a first class D-BAG. |
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Post by JoeFedorowicz on Feb 29, 2024 20:12:36 GMT -5
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Post by glorydays on Mar 1, 2024 6:58:25 GMT -5
I am old so I forget stuff. I am sure I saw Rasual score his 2000th point. What was the date and who were they playing?
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Post by thelasallelunatic on Mar 1, 2024 7:24:31 GMT -5
I wasn't at the game, but I think Marvin O'Connor scored like 302059230894 points in the final minute against us at Gola? We still won. Yup, 18 points in the last minute. I sat next to Jackie Scheuer, the AP writer. Also the night I lost all respect for Martelli. Cursed me out postgame after cursing out the refs. Wanted to punch him in the face, but since I was working, I brushed it off as a heat of the moment thing. Came to realize, that's just how he was, a first class D-BAG. What did he curse you out for? |
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Post by glorydays on Mar 1, 2024 9:55:08 GMT -5
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Post by gymrat67 on Mar 1, 2024 11:24:20 GMT -5
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Post by mookie on Mar 1, 2024 11:43:03 GMT -5
This is so embarrassing…it’s a good concept but placement, equipment and execution is on par with a middle school event. Sorry, was that an insult to middle schools?? Whose idea was the “L” and the smoke machine? And then who thought this was a great idea after testing it beforehand?? |
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Post by belfieldhappyhour on Mar 1, 2024 20:12:44 GMT -5
Yup, 18 points in the last minute. I sat next to Jackie Scheuer, the AP writer. Also the night I lost all respect for Martelli. Cursed me out postgame after cursing out the refs. Wanted to punch him in the face, but since I was working, I brushed it off as a heat of the moment thing. Came to realize, that's just how he was, a first class D-BAG. What did he curse you out for? The elevator being slow and me just being there as his next target. Murph or Billy G could have been standing there and he would have cursed them out because he is/was a blowhard. |
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Post by crayzeeguy on Mar 1, 2024 20:56:40 GMT -5
Some random memories:
- First scheduled ESPN game post-renovation (against Miami maybe) and the network lost their shit cause the lighting in Gola wasn’t to the correct standard for a TV broadcast.
- Bill Murray in attendance at a La Salle/Rhode Island game a few years back
- The Roots in concert
- Pickup games before/after practice with all the athletic programs participating
- Garrett Bragg
- The NBA Combine at Gola in “Hustle”
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Post by blueandgold on Mar 1, 2024 21:25:59 GMT -5
Easily the most famous person ever to nod along while I’m playing trumpet. This was so cool and doesn’t feel like nine years ago…
There were several wins that others highlighted especially around the Sweet 16 run, but I also remember some fun OT losses around those years (VCU in 2014 among them).
In the late 00s I remember the long depressing walk down from sitting with the band in the rafters after many a close loss. Looks like new setup will be a shorter walk down from the top.
G flipping out on the sidelines
Obi Toppin’s lone visit in 2020 - he was so physically beyond every other dude on the court, it reminded me of a little of how prime Dwight Howard looked at Sixers games.
The stench of the Explorer costume after the game
Darnell Harris for three
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MisterD
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Post by MisterD on Mar 1, 2024 22:04:49 GMT -5
If that VCU game was the double OT in a snowstorm that’s going to end up being my last game in old Gola. Brutal.
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Post by coqui900 on Mar 1, 2024 22:50:20 GMT -5
If that VCU game was the double OT in a snowstorm that’s going to end up being my last game in old Gola. Brutal. I went to that game with a buddy of mine who is a VCU alum and super fan. Especially back then. That was a really great game/brutal loss. Lest we forget -- the season before was another classic between VCU and us. They were our next game after the huge Butler win. And it was in Richmond, which has one of the best home courts in the country. They were ranked #19. This is a game that is fully understandable for us to lose. Crazy back-and-forth game. We had a big lead in the first half. In the second, we gave up a 17-0 run and were down 7. But then Ramon went nuts and we won 69-61. I think that win was as important for us that season as the Butler scalp to some degree. I left my friend's party to go watch that bar at the late, great Ugly Moose. I miss that place so much. Also, Jordan Price's first season for us -- he went for 34 pts/18 boards/5 assists against VCU in their gym in a Double OT win for the good guys. VCU was also Top 20 at the time. We had such an insane few years of games against The Rams. I always described them as "everyone's second favorite team." I always loved watching Havoc, insane crowd, one of the best bands in the country, etc. |
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Post by coqui900 on Mar 1, 2024 23:01:00 GMT -5
Oh, a concert memory from the early days of Gola --
One of our Spring Flings -- the headlining act were The Violent Femmes with 90s rap one-hit wonders DasEFX as the openers, along with Philly area cover band Mr. Greenjeans. I was part of the club for students to book concerts. I know our club put that together, but I have absolutely zero clue how the hell that bill was lined up.
I completely understand Mr. Greenjeans. They played every college within 90 minutes of Philly multiple times. I think you could probably get them to play your school's venue for like $50. But I also remember their lead singer trying to bigtime one of my friends about his "tech" needs. It was like -- Dude, you're a cover band, you're lucky you even have your mic turned on for you rendition of "Under The Bridge." Truly hilarious.
The Violent Femmes also made sense. They did a lot of college spring fling type shows. I saw them at the spring fling or their equivalents at both Rutgers and UPenn the previous years. (They're a great band.)
But DasEFX? I have absolutely zero clue. Their album and big single ("They Want EFX") came out in like 91 or 92 and was forgotten about a week later. This concert was I think the first one at Gola.
Whoever the adult was who ran the students activities division at the time was bugging out. DasEFX was supposed to get to the venue at 4 pm or something like that, with show showtime 7. Their bus eventually pulled up at 6:30 or something incredibly late, and I just remember seeing an insane amount of marijuana smoke come out of the bus... that contained the 2 members of DasEFX and one of their friends, along with the bus driver.
What a memory.
***
There was also PRO WRESTLING one year at Gola when I was an undergrad. One of the frats booked a pro wrestling show at Gola. I of course went being a lover of America's greatest artform and the true sport of kings. I can't remember anything about the show other than the headliner was "Dancin'" Stevie Richards of ECW/WWE fame against some metalhead looking dude. This happened in April my senior year. The metalhead dude was the heel and to work the crowd up he said: "Coming to a school like this makes me wish Columbine happened every week." Columbine literally happened like three days before that.
The 90s were insane.
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MisterD
The Baptist Himself
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Post by MisterD on Mar 1, 2024 23:44:35 GMT -5
Are you siggity saying you diggity didnt liggity like it?
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Post by coqui900 on Mar 2, 2024 1:24:17 GMT -5
Are you siggity saying you diggity didnt liggity like it? I have zero memory of the concert. There's a 95% chance that I instead went to Cold Beer. |
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Post by hykos1045 on Mar 2, 2024 8:58:30 GMT -5
#1 Beating USC and #2 playing Minnesota (despite the result).
That Minnesota game, along with losing to Butler in Brooklyn the following season, may have been important elements in teaching those guys how to stay loose and just win with everything on the line.
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Post by glorydays on Mar 2, 2024 9:54:59 GMT -5
It’s been 20 years but some may remember “The Thrilla at Gola”. Two 71er’s were frustrated with an impending loss late in a game. …got into an argument and
had to be separated. The incident was interpreted as how much these guys loved La Salle basketball… the dust up was somewhere between Ali-Frazier and
Fred Sanford and Grady…. Both participants are still alive and still frustrated by the Explos.
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