Dec. 22, 2008
La Salle vs. Mount Saint Mary’s
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Tom Gola Arena
Game: Non-Conference
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La Salle Explorers (5-5, 0-0)
Conference: Atlantic 10
The Explorers return home on Tuesday night to face the Mount of Mount Saint Mary’s after being defeated on the road by the Cornell Big Red on Saturday afternoon, 79-70. In a game that had seven lead changes, eight ties and 47 total fouls, junior Kimmani Barrett registered a double-double with a team-high 18 points and 12 rebounds. Alongside Barrett, juniors Ruben Guillandeaux and Rodney Green, and sophomore Jerrell Williams all finished in double figures. Green is now just 47 points shy of La Salle’s 1,000-point milestone. Through 18 all-time meetings with the Mount, the Explorers have been victors 12 times, which currently includes a six-game winning streak over the program. In last year’s matchup, which concluded with La Salle’s first win of the season, Williams put the game out of reach when he pulled down an offensive rebound and then scored on a put-back layup to make it a two possession game with eight seconds remaining. In the victory, junior Yves Mekongo Mbala scored a dozen points. These two standouts from last year have made their presence felt once again this season with Mekongo Mbala averaging 10.6 points and 6.5 rebounds, while Williams is contributing 8.5 points and 5.4 rebounds. Tuesday night’s matchup begins a four-game home swing for the Explorers which is capped off with their first conference battle of the season against city-rival Temple.
Mount Saint Mary’s (3-7, 0-2)
Conference: Northeast
When the Mount take on the La Salle Explorers, they will be looking to continue the success they have had on the road this season. Away from Maryland, Mount Saint Mary’s has generated two of their three total wins. Back on Friday night, the Mount fell to No. 15 Georgetown on the road, 69-58. Junior Kelly Beidler led the way for the Mount with 16 points, which included three field-goals from beyond the arc. Beidler is averaging 10.6 points and a team-best 7.1 rebounds. Also adding to the effort was senior Marcus Mitchell, as he tied a game-high with nine boards (6.7 rpg). So far this season, junior Jeremy Goode has been the Mount’s most consistent shooter. Goode is averaging 16.6 points while shooting over 40 percent from three-point range. Goode has finished with a team-high in points and assists at least five times in each category this season and in all three wins, he has finished as the team’s leading scorer. Through 10 games this season, Mount Saint Mary’s has proved they are not an easy task, despite what their record reads. The Mount have kept games tight with their opposition, especially in their games against American, Sacred Heart, Central Connecticut State and Navy, where each matchup had been decided by five points or less. The Mount will be looking to put up another tough battle on Tuesday night, as they attempt to defeat the Explorers on the road and end La Salle’s recent dominance in the all-time series.
Eye on an Explorer: Kimmani Barrett
Junior Kimmani Barrett has been the cornerstone for the Explorers offensive production this season. After coming off a season-high 18 points against Cornell on Saturday afternoon, Barrett is ranked as the Explorers’ number two scorer. Besides scoring 13.8 points, Barrett is the team’s most effective shooter. Barrett has converted exactly half of all his attempts, placing him first on the team among field-goal percentage leaders. In addition, Barrett is currently shooting 47.1 percent from three-point range, which ranks him second in the Atlantic 10.
Key Matchup: Rodney Green vs. Jean Cajou
Junior Rodney Green and sophomore Jean Cajou will be the focus in this game due to their knack to set the tempo for their offense and their ability to score. Green is La Salle’s leading scorer this season at 14.4 points. In his third year with the Explorers, he has been their largest component on offense since Darnell Harris’s departure. For the Mount, Cajou is currently ranked second on the team in scoring at 12.9 points. Though Cajou is averaging two points less than Green, both are virtually shooting the same percentage. In just 10 games this season, Cajou has nearly doubled his average points per game from just a season ago. This matchup will be won by the guard who gets the most open looks and is the more effective shooter along with the ability to spread the ball around to assist in the manufacturing of points.
