Men's Basketball | November 27, 2014

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The La Salle Explorers will begin a difficult four-game stretch beginning on Friday at the Barclays Center Classic against #8/7 Virginia at 9:30 PM on NBC Sports Network. Terry Gannon, Ben Howland and Dalen Cuff are on the call.
 
La Salle Explorers vs. #8/7 Virginia Cavaliers
Friday, November 28 | 9:30 PM | Barclays Center
 
Live Audio | Radio: WNTP 990 AM
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Game Notes
La Salle | Virginia
 
Last Time Out
Redshirt sophomore Jordan Price scored a career-high 30 points as the La Salle men's basketball team earned a 73-60 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn on Tuesday night at Tom Gola Arena.
 
"I am thrilled with the win," said head coach Dr. John Giannini. "We played a very good team, a team who was picked number one in their league."
 
Price was an efficient 10-for-17 from the floor, including 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and 6-for-6 from the foul line as the Explorers (4-0) recorded their largest margin of victory of the season. Price added six rebounds and a career-high seven assists.
 
Senior Jerrell Wright added 19 points and nine rebounds while classmate Steve Zack had 14 points and 12 boards.
 
All-Time Series
La Salle holds a 2-0 advantage in the series versus Virginia, but the two teams have not met since 1957.
 
Scouting the Explorers
The Blue and Gold have started off 4-0 thanks in large part to its defense. For the first time since 1996-97, the Explorers have held four straight teams to 60 points or less. None of the four opponents have shot better than 37% from the field, which marks the first time in the Dr. John Giannini era that such a feat has been accomplished.
 
La Salle leads the A-10 in field goal percentage defense (.330) and is second in scoring average (55.0).  
 
The offense started to look more in sync in Tuesday's win over St. Francis Brooklyn, with Price, Wright and Zack combining for 63 of the team's 73 points. Price now leads the A-10 in scoring at 19.3 ppg. and his 30 point, seven assist, six rebound effort makes him just the third Explorer since 1996-97 to record at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in a game. Only six players in Division I have done it so far this season.
 
Wright (fourth) and Zack (eighth) rank among the A-10s top rebounders, both pulling in at least nine boards a game. Wright is second on the team in scoring at 10.3 ppg.
 
La Salle's 4-0 start is the best since starting 7-0 in 2005-06.
 
Coach Giannini says…
"We are stepping up in class a little bit here. We are going from teams that are going to be good in their conferences, to teams that are going to be good on the national level. That is what we aspire to. It is a great opportunity for us. "
 
Scouting the Cavaliers
Virginia, the reigning ACC Champions and currently #8/7 in the polls, has gotten off to a 5-0 start. Like La Salle, UVa has one of the nation's top defenses, leading the country in scoring defense (44.6 ppg.) and ranking second nationally in field goal percentage defense (29.3%).
 
The Cavs has won their five games by an incredible margin of 27.2 ppg., including a 17-point win over George Washington of the Atlantic 10.
 
Justin Anderson leads three players in double-figure scoring at 16.8 ppg. followed by Anthony Gill (11.8 ppg.) and Malcolm Brogdon (10.8 ppg.). Virginia is averaging nearly 44 rebounds per game and is outrebounding its foes by over 17 a contest.
 
Coach Bennett On La Salle
"They are certainly a team that is talented. A lot of times they will play four guards. They have quickness, a good coach, and a good program. I have never been in the Barclays Center, but I hear it is a beautiful facility. It is always exciting in these tournaments to play in nice venues, go against some quality competition, and keep getting better."
 
Next up
The Explorers will play either Rutgers or Vanderbilt on Saturday at 7 or 9:30 PM. The game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network.