Posted by: Kale Beers
Brian Grimes scored 11 and pulled six rebounds |
Darnell Harris torched UMass for 12 points in the opening minutes |
Mike St. John pulled eight rebounds and added to his team lead with three assists |
Former La Salle captain and longtime Father Judge High coach Bill Fox was honored during the game |
PHILADELPHIA, PA - In a reversal of their recent form the La Salle University Explorers (6-8, 0-2) built a 14-point first half lead but were overcome by the Massachusetts Minutemen (11-4, 1-0) in a 79-71 finish on Saturday afternoon at Tom Gola Arena.
Junior Darnell Harris (Baltimore, MD/St. Frances) went four-for-four from beyond-the-arc in the first half to help the Explorers build a 28-14 lead with 7:53 left. Harris was then held scoreless until he turned a baseline jumper into a three-point play with 2.53 remaining in the game. He finished with 19 points in the game.
The Minutemen went on a 19-9 run to close to within four points at 37-33 at halftime. Rashaun Freeman hit a lay-up with 17:10 left in the game to make the score 43-41 and put the Minutemen in front for good.
Freeman and senior frontcourt teammate Stephane Lasme each registered a double-double and combined for 35 points, 24 rebounds and ten blocked shots. The duo also altered numerous other Explorers shots during the second-half UMass run. Five UMass players scored ten or more points.
The Explorers placed four scorers, including Harris, in double figures. Rodney Green (Philadelphia, PA/Prep Charter) notched 12 points while fellow first-year contributors Brian Grimes (Ft. Washington, PA/Germantown Academy) and Kimmani Barrett (Paterson, NJ/Paterson Catholic) scored 11 apiece.
The five Explorer freshmen accounted for 65% (46) of the Explorers' 71 points and played 127 of the 200 games minutes (64%).
The Explorers kept the game close in the final minutes but UMass, who entered the game shooting 65% from the free throw line sealed the victory by going 11 for 12 on the stripe in the final two minutes and 22 seconds.
The Explorers travel to Pittsburgh for a Wednesday night Atlantic 10 contest against Duquesne with tip-off from the A.J. Palumbo Center scheduled for 7:00 PM.
