La Salle’s transfers got to work in its loss to No. 10 Houston, but standout Rob Dockery was quiet
The Explorers found itself in foul trouble in a 94-55 loss to the Cougars. However, a bright spot for coach Darris Nichols’ team was improved three-point shooting.
To upset Houston, La Salle needed to be at full strength for 40 minutes. Early fouls made that impossible.
On Monday, La Salle dropped its season opener at No. 10 Houston, falling to the Cougars 94-55. The Explorers (0-1) did not hold a lead, trailing Houston (1-0) from the tipoff. With La Salle in foul trouble, the Cougars came out to a 20-point halftime lead that only ballooned after Explorers’ standout guard Rob Dockery fouled out in the second half.
La Salle senior guard Kam Burton logged a team-high 15 points, two rebounds, and one steal in his hometown of Houston. Meanwhile, the Cougars saw five players score in double-digits. Senior guard Dedan Thomas Jr. led the way with 16 points and five rebounds.
Here’s what we saw from La Salle’s season opener:
Foul trouble
In the first half, four Explorers picked up two or more fouls, forcing coach Darris Nichols to reach further into his bench.
Dockery, who was named to the Atlantic-10’s preseason second team, expects to be La Salle’s most dominate player this season. However, Monday did not provide much of a preview of how the 6-foot-6 guard could look alongside La Salle’s revamped roster.
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In seven minutes, Dockery finished with one point and three rebounds. He also committed a game-high five turnovers. La Salle turned the ball over 19 times.
Transfers in
Five of La Salle’s seven transfers saw game action.
Anthony Finkley, a key reserve for St. Joseph’s over the past three seasons, got the start for the Explorers and looked aggressive early. The Roman Catholic grad scored the team’s first six points. However, in 23 minutes, he failed to find the basket again.
Burton, a Stephen F. Austin transfer, was the most consistent player for La Salle, but his night did not come without faults. After converting a 26-footer in the first half, Burton gestured towards a Houston defender. He was assessed a technical foul and was promptly sent to the bench by Nichols. The ensuing free throws extended Houston’s lead to 13 points.
George Mason transfer Devin Booker, who starred at Cristo Ray, trailed Burton in the box score with 12 points.
Threes galore
Last season, La Salle ranked 350th out of 364 programs in three-pointers made per game. Nichols prioritized shooting in the portal, and it showed in terms of sheer volume on Monday.
The Explorers attempted 39 three-pointers — more than double the team’s 17.9 attempts per game last year. However, La Salle converted just 21% of its attempts from deep. Booker shot 1 of 7 from beyond while freshman RJ Smith missed all six of his attempts.
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Along with being a purposeful shift, the Explorers’ barrage of three-point attempts was a product of their inability to convert down low. The Cougars outscored La Salle 44-10 in the paint.
‘Fight on Speedy’
During Monday’s broadcast on CBS Sports Network, it was announced that the La Salle men’s and women’s basketball teams will sport a pin in honor of former coach Speedy Morris. The pin will read “Fight on! Speedy” and will be worn for the rest of the season.
CBS play-by-play commentator Tom McCarthy, who also supplies his voice to the Phillies for NBC Sports Philadelphia, explained that Morris has been “battling some illness back in Philadelphia.” Morris, La Salle’s all-time winningest coach, has lived with Parkinson’s disease since 2017.
