Philadelphia, PA – The La Salle men's basketball team will host Monmouth as part of La Salle University's homecoming festivities on Saturday, with tip-off set for 3:30 pm on ESPN+.
A Successful Start
La Salle opened the Darris Nichols era with an 87-59 victory over Coppin State on Wednesday night.
Four Explorers scored in double figures, led by freshman Walker's 18 points and seven rebounds in his collegiate debut. Graduate student
Jaeden Marshall added 15 points, while fellow graduate student
Jerome Brewer Jr. added 14 points. Redshirt-sophomore
Rob Dockery finished with 13 points.
The win was Nichols' first win at La Salle and made him 5-0 in home openers as a head coach. La Salle is now 5-1 in its last six home openers.
Homecoming Magic
La Salle has won five straight homecoming games. A win on Saturday would give the Explorers their third straight 2-0 start.
Wednesday's win moved the Blue and Gold to 11-5 at John E. Glaser Arena, which opened last year.
The Magic Formula
The winning strategy for the Explorers is no secret – "Rebound That Jawn" and get to the free throw line.
Against Coppin State, the Explorers shot 35 free throws on the night, converting 27 of them, while outrebounding Coppin State 44-28 and holding a 34-26 edge in points in the paint.
Per KenPom, redshirt-sophomore
Rob Dockery ranks third in the country in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (13.9) after drawing eight fouls in 20:45 minutes of game action on Wednesday. Dockery also ranks 23
rd nationally in percentage of possessions used at 35.6%.
Under Darris Nichols, Radford was 20
th in the country in free throw attempts in 2024-25, with 25% of fouls drawn coming from offensive rebounds.
Walker's Big Debut
Freshman
Ashton Walker shined against Coppin State, leading the way with 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Walker's 18 points are the most by a La Salle freshman in a season-opener since Donnie Carr scored 36 points against Mount St. Mary's in 1996 and most among freshmen in the Atlantic 10 this season while ranking in the Top-10 in scoring among all A-10 players.
Three-Point Success
The Explorers shot 50% (8-16) from long range against the Eagles while limiting Coppin State to just 15.4% (4-26) from beyond the arc. Both numbers are among the top-two performances in the Atlantic 10 to start the season.
The Series
The Explorers and Hawks will meet for the fourth time on Saturday, with La Salle holding a 3-0 edge in the all-time series. The two teams have not met since 1986, when La Salle earned a 72-69 victory over Monmouth.
Scouting The Hawks
Monmouth enters Saturday's contest with a 1-0 record after a 96-68 victory over Caldwell on Tuesday evening. The Hawks finished the 2024-25 season with a 13-20 record, including a 10-8 mark in CAA action.
Next Up
La Salle will begin Big 5 play on Tuesday at Temple, with tip-off set for 7:00 pm.
