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La Salle and St. Joseph’s agree to play next season’s game on MLK Day

In City Six schedule updates, , Temple will play Tulane on Saturday and Drexel's games vs. Elon are postponed.

St. Joseph's coach Billy Lange said he approached Ashley Howard in 2019 with the idea of playing an MLK Day series.
St. Joseph's coach Billy Lange said he approached Ashley Howard in 2019 with the idea of playing an MLK Day series.Read moreMONICA HERNDON / Staff Photographer

La Salle and St. Joseph’s will be playing this season on Martin Luther King Day, and that’s something the programs want to continue. The Big 5 and Atlantic 10 Conference foes have agreed to play on MLK Day during the 2021-22 season.

This season’s matchup will be played Monday at La Salle, and next year’s will be at St. Joe’s.

“To have the opportunity to share with our Philadelphia basketball community a day that we celebrate Dr. King and all of the contributions he has made to our society is something special,” La Salle coach Ashley Howard said in a statement.

“Our program is honored to partner with La Salle and shine light on one of the greatest leaders our world has ever known in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” St. Joseph’s coach Billy Lange said in a statement. “He led with courage, compassion and love. His message and his mission have never been more appropriate to raise awareness than they are now. We have a lot to do to create equality, and it starts with our hearts.”

Lange approached Howard with the idea in 2019. The Hawks and Explorers haven’t played in January since 2017.

Tournament moving

The Atlantic 10 Conference announced that this year’s conference tournament for men will be relocated from the Barclays Center to the campus of a member institution because of the coronavirus. The site for the tournament on March 10-14 will be announced later.

Two game changes for Temple

A positive COVID-19 test at East Carolina has put the men’s team on pause. That put Saturday’s game against Temple in doubt, but the Owls’ schedule has been adjusted.

Temple will play at Tulane on Saturday at 1 p.m. That matchup was originally scheduled on Jan. 6 but was postponed due to Temple’s COVID pause. A later date for the ECU matchup has not been set.

Drexel games postponed

COVID-19 protocols in the Elon program resulted in the postponement of Drexel’s two games against the Phoenix. The schools were scheduled to play on Jan. 23 and 24. Barring any schedule changes, Drexel will go two weeks in between games after playing William & Mary this Saturday and Sunday.