GAME ON!
Today's game will be played as scheduled. Please note, however, that the pre-game alumni reception has been cancelled and all other gameday promotions will be limited. Explorer Club pre-game and halftime receptions will be held in the Hayman Center conference room.
La Salle Explorers vs. Bucknell Bison
Date: Saturday, December 19
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
Location: Tom Gola Arena
Game: Non-conference
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La Salle Explorers (6-3)
Conference: Atlantic 10
The Explorers return to action in Tom Gola Arena on Saturday following a two-game road trip and a week off for final exams. Coming in to face them will be the Bucknell Bison, who are 4-6 on the year and currently in a span of losing four of its last five games.
La Salle is coming off a 90-65 loss to No. 1 Kansas last Saturday after winning the previous three. In the game, Jerrell Williams went on a tear as he contributed 17 points in the second half alone, which is the most points scored by an Explorer in one half this season. He went on to score a team and career-high 21 points.
Saturday’s matchup with the Bison will be the first of two games the Explorers will play over a three-day period.
Last season, La Salle defeated Bucknell, 68-65, in Gola Arena. In the win, the Explorers outrebounded the Bison, 51-39. The win gave La Salle its 16th victory in the all-time series. La Salle enters this season’s meeting as the 12th best three-point shooting team in the country (42.5 percent) along with having the 15th highest offensive rebounding percentage (42.1).
Bucknell Bison (4-6)
Conference: Patriot League
Riding into Philadelphia and looking to break a three-game losing streak are the Bucknell Bison. Saturday will be Bucknell’s first game in 13 days after having a break for final exams. The Bison will play their third straight road match when they take on La Salle.
Bucknell’s last battle resulted in a 63-53 defeat at Boston University back on Dec. 6. G.W. Boon knocked down five field goals from beyond to lead the Bison with his season-high 17 points. Boon is ranked fifth on the team in scoring with 7.0 ppg, but in the last two games, he has averaged 14.5 ppg. In a loss at Columbia, Boon came off the bench to hit three field goals from beyond the arc in a three-minute span, propelling him to an 11-point night. Last season against La Salle, Boon notched 14 points in a three-point loss to the Explorers.
Bucknell’s strength has been at the charity stripe this season. Through 10 games, the Bison have shot 74.4 percent from the line, placing them 36th in the nation in that category.
Eye on an Explorer: Rodney Green
Averaging nearly four assists a game, Rodney Green is on pace to pick up his 300th career assist as an Explorer against the Bison on Saturday. Should Green reach the milestone, he will join former La Salle great Lionel Simmons as the only Explorers to reach the 1,500 point, 500 rebound and 300 assist club.
Green is La Salle’s most effective all-around shooter from three-point range this year. A 44.7 percentage from beyond the arc has helped ignite Green to 18.1 ppg. Now at 1,523 career points, Green trails Bill Taylor (1972-75) for 18th place on La Salle’s all-time scoring list by 31 points.
Key Matchup: Kimmani Barrett vs. Patrick Behan
La Salle senior Kimmani Barrett is second on the team in scoring this season with 12.7 ppg. After an eight point performance against Kansas, Barrett pulled within 28 points of becoming the 47th player at La Salle to reach the 1,000 point plateau. Barrett led the Explorers with 15 points in the 68-65 win over Bucknell last season.
Last season’s leading scorer and rebounder, senior Patrick Behan is already ranked second on the team in scoring with 11.1 ppg while owning a team-best 5.8 rpg this season. He picked up 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds against La Salle last season. Behan was ranked Patriot League Player of the Week back on Nov. 23. Prior to receiving the honors, Behan scored 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds against Saint Francis (PA), giving him his fifth career double-double.
