Time to take La Salle seriously after win over Xavier

WHEN YOU HAVE been under the radar for 20 years, it is hard to get attention, even if you have a team that deserves attention. La Salle is going to attract some attention now.

The Explorers, playing a nearly perfect first half, led Xavier by 16 at the break, got a bit skittish down the stretch, but held on very nicely to win, 80-70, at Gola Arena last night, as big a win as they have had since they started play in the Atlantic 10 in 1995.

"I think Xavier's one of the best teams in the country," coach John Giannini said. "We played great. Only two teams have beaten their full team, us and Gonzaga."

Xavier, the A-10's gold standard, has not been the same since that fight at the end of the Cincinnati game on Dec. 10, losing five of six games. Players got suspended. They are all back now.

Whatever Xavier (9-5, 0-1 A-10) was last night, La Salle (11-4, 1-0) had much to do with it. It would simply not be fair to La Salle's effort to characterize it as anything but what it was - serious from start to finish by a serious team. And the coach is sure they can play even better.

"There were a lot of things we could have done better," Giannini said. "This was, by no means, the best we could have played."

Well, they really could not have played much better in the first half. The Explorers had 14 assists on 17 field goals and only three turnovers at the break. They broke a 24-24 tie with 14 consecutive points, a run marked by defense, threes, finding the open man and attention to detail. The game was never really the same after that.

Yes, they could have made a few more open shots, but they did lead, 46-30, after 20 minutes and "X" was shooting only 35.5 percent.

When you score 80, it looks as if offense won the game, but La Salle won this game the way it has won most of its games - with defense.

"This win proves to everybody in the Atlantic 10 that we can play, that La Salle is a different team this year," guard Ramon Galloway said. "Our goal is to do big things this year. The way we are going to do those big things is playing defense and staying together as a team."

Galloway had the primary responsibility for Xavier star Tu Holloway, who shot only 2-for-12. But it was team defense, with La Salle's seamless switching almost unnoticeable, that carried the day.

Slowing the other team's star is a seasonlong trend. In 11 of La Salle's last 12 games, the Explorers have held the other team's leading scorer below his average, often well below. Holloway did finish with 15, but 11 came from the foul line.

Earl Pettis (23 points) was the offensive star for La Salle, which got something from all eight players who saw court time.

It was Pettis who knocked out a three when Xavier got it to 67-60 with 7 minutes, 18 seconds left. And it was Pettis, with his team leading only 74-69 and the clock at 58 seconds, who reached in and stripped Mark Lyons when it looked as if the Xavier guard might get to the rim.

Pettis saw Devon White ahead of the field and pitched it to him. White threw down a dunk, and the celebration was on.

"Coach tells us if somebody's open, give them the ball," Pettis said. "It happened to be Devon at that time."

La Salle maybe played the clock a bit more than the game down the stretch, but when you play defense as this team plays defense, and can put five guards on the floor, and shoot fouls, you will be difficult to catch.

The on-ball pressure defense is simply about not letting teams get comfortable.

"If I can get under them and pressure them and give them one option, I'll be good," Galloway said. "If we let them be comfortable, anybody's good."

Well, La Salle is good. Xavier is trying to find its way.

The A-10 has now opened up wide.

"Everybody in this league is going to have a handful of losses, not because the teams aren't good," Giannini said.

How much better has La Salle gotten in a year? Last year, Xavier scored on its first 12 possessions, had 25 points after 7 minutes and won, 100-62.

"I thought coming into the game and after the game, we had a lot of respect for La Salle," Xavier coach Chris Mack said. "They're so much different than they were a year ago . . . And I'm happy for John, because I know last year was tough for them."

Is it a hangover from the Cincinnati fight for his team?

"Seems like a long hangover," said Mack, who called the state of his offense pathetic. "But if that's going to be our excuse, then we're going to have a tough way to go in this conference."

Lionel Simmons and Bobby Johnson, teammates at Southern High and on La Salle's great 30-2 team in 1989-90, were in the house. They saw some high-quality hoops. Shame a few more fans were not there to see a very entertaining team that is one of three in the city that will make serious noise in the A-10.

It is hard to break a 20-year habit, but if any team looks ready to do it, and perhaps even get some support, this looks like the one.