La Salle TV presents “SportsLine” Season 24 Episode 8

Click below to watch this week’s episode of “SportsLine.”

– ©La Salle TV — SportsLine 2021

Enrique Carrasco, Editor 

Men’s Basketball was off to a hot start in their season opener against Sacred Heart University in the Tom Gola Arena.  At the end of the first half, the Explorers led the Sacred Heart Pioneers 30 to 26. Despite this lead, the Explorers allowed 19 unanswered points in the final six minutes of the second half, allowing the Pioneers to take the lead with two minutes left in the game. Despite this turn of events, the Explorers were able to mount a comeback late in the game and put themselves three points ahead of the Pioneers. After a missed free throw shot from the Explorers that would have put the game away for the Pioneers, the Pioneers were able to hit a buzzer-beating 3-point shot, sending the game into overtime. The Explorers failed to stop the Pioneers in overtime, allowing them to score 19 total points in only five minutes. Offensively, the Explorers heavily struggled to keep up with Pioneers, putting up only 14 points in overtime, effectively putting the game out of reach for the Explorers. 

The real story behind the Explorers’ loss comes at the hands of all the missed free throws. Despite a Pioneer receiving a technical foul after slamming the ball against the floor, the Explorers failed to score a single free throw given to them from this foul. Throughout the entire game, the Explorers only scored six out of their 14 total free throws; in comparison, the Pioneers scored 11 out of their 16 free throws. These five extra scored free throws from the Pioneers managed to cement the loss for the Explorers.

Despite the at-home loss, the team put on a promising performance. The Explorers amounted to 15 out of 40 three-pointers made, and the defense managed to, at times, show that they were a real threat. The Explorers’ defense managed to come away with six steals, all of which resulted in points, as well as three shots being blocked. Junior guard Josh Nickelberry led the team in points, going 8-17 in field goals, but making zero of three free throws. Nickelberry finished the game with 22 total points and was a vital part of the Explorer’s offense. 

Next up, the Explorers face off against the Albany Great Danes at their Homecoming game on Saturday, Nov. 13, at Tom Gola Arena. Make sure to come out and form a part of La Salle’s student section: the Explorer Entourage.  

KC Medico, Staff 

The second place Philadelphia 76ers faced off against the third place Chicago Bulls in a showdown that came down to the wire. Seth Curry was the one to hit the dagger that would put the game on ice and Joel Embiid who saved their lead with a monster block resulting in the Sixers winning 103-98. 

Coming into this game, the Sixers were missing three of their starters: Ben Simmons who continues to sit out due to mental health issues, Danny Green out with a hamstring injury and Tobias Harris who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. The 76ers needed to rely on their remaining starters Seth Curry and Joel Embiid to get the job done. 

Curry has been hot by  starting the season averaging 17.1 points and is second in the NBA in three point percentage shooting at 54.1 percent. His hot streak continued into this game where he finished with a statline of 22 points, went 9-for-14 from the field, and five rebounds. 

In a post-game interview, Doc Rivers stated, “You know what he’s doing better, everybody knows who he is now and last year I thought if you got physical with him, they could take him off the ball and deny the catches.” 

Rivers also added that, “Now he’s being relentless in getting open and once he gets open with Joel (Embiid) coming, it’s a tough cover for anyone so we put them in that coverage.”

Joel Embiid had a quiet game putting up 18 points. However, he got a crucial block in the final seconds of the game and with 10 seconds left, the Bulls had a chance to cut the deficit to a one score game. Lonzo Ball inbounded the ball to DeMar DeRozan at the top of the key. DeRozan got a block which allowed him to get a clear path to the basket. He went up for the dunk but out of nowhere Embiid came swooping in to block the dunk attempt to officially seal the game. The call on the floor was initially a foul but upon further review it was clear Embiid got nothing but the ball. 

There were a few headaches along the way to this win for the Sixers, as DeRozan had his third 30-point game in a row finishing with a total 37 points. With help from Zach Lavine who finished with 27 points, the two got on a hot streak to tie the game with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. If not for great plays from Curry and Embiid, the outcome of this game would have favored the Bulls. 

The Sixers will move on trying to continue their early push for the first place spot in the Eastern Conference as Curry and Embiid try to stay hot with their three other starters out to start the season. 

Josh Delilo, Staff

Las Vegas

Talk about a statement win. The Raiders are off to a 2-0 start under new interim head coach Rich Bisaccia. Las Vegas has responded well after the Jon Gruden email leaks, which lead to him eventually resigning and handing the keys to the offense over to veteran quarterback Derek Carr. Many speculated that the Raiders’ season would fold after the Gruden departure, but during the past two weeks, Carr has silenced any criticism about Vegas’ playing capabilities, and that was in full display as the Raiders dominated Philadelphia this past Sunday in a 33-22 victory. 

Carr was almost perfect against the Eagles, as he completed 31 of 34 of his passes, finishing the day with a 91.1 completion percentage. It was his most accurate day as a passer in his career, with at least 30 pass attempts. Carr is the only quarterback in NFL history who has done that twice in his career. He picked apart the Philadelphia secondary, finishing the day with 323 yards, two touchdown passes, and a passer rating of 113.6. It was the third game this season where the 8-year vet has had a passer rating above 100 and fifth game where he threw for more than 300 yards, which currently leads the NFL. Not bad for a guy who was without his favorite target, Darren Waller, on National Tight End Day. “Derek looked fantastic managing the clock throughout the entire game,” Coach Bisaccia stated, giving props on Carr’s ability to have long, sustained drives that wear out a defense, specifically a six-minute drive in the second half that started on Vegas’ own four-yard line — “those types of drives in the second half are what ice the game.” That same drive ended in a Bryan Edwards touchdown reception on fourth-and-goal, sealing the victory for Raider Nation. Heading into the bye week, Derek is just seven yards behind Tom Brady for the most passing yards this season. 

The Raiders advance to a 5-2 record for the first time since 2016. Carr and the Raiders sit in one of the top spots of the AFC.  Interim Head Coach Rich Bisaccia has given all the credit to the team’s leadership inside the Las Vegas locker room. “Derek Carr is the voice of the Raiders,” Bisaccia stated in the press conference after the victory Sunday afternoon. “When he talks, all the players trust his leadership that we can get the job done, no matter the circumstances on or off the field.” Despite the fantastic bounce-back performances these past two weeks, Carr has stayed humble. “Given everything that we accomplished and all the crazy stuff that has happened, this is still a game,” Carr stated with a smile on his face. “I tell that to myself and my teammates, go out and have fun, and that is what we have been doing, but the job is far from finished.” 

Enrique Carrasco, Editor 

The La Salle Men’s soccer team had no room for error when they met St. Joes at home during senior night. The Explorers were one loss away from not being able to qualify for the A-10’s. Sadly for the squad, they fell 1-0 to St. Joseph’s University. 

The men were off to a rough start when St. Joe’s forward Alex Hartman was able to put a ball past Graduate Goalkeeper Mitch Foster only a minute after the starting whistle had been rung. While this was a disappointing start for the squad, allowing a goal this early against the conference rivals was the last thing they had planned. Despite this, the men were not discouraged and kept themselves concentrated on the task at hand. The Explorers were able to keep pressure on St. Joe’s throughout the entire game, coming away with 5 shots, with 3 of them being on goal. On the other side of the game, St. Joes had 15 shots, with 6 of them being on goal. The pressure between the two rivals was kept at the same level throughout the entire game, with La Salle having 6 corners, and St. Joes having 10. Foster had himself a game, finishing the game with 5 saves, an all-season high for him. 

This loss comes as a heavy blow to the heavily talented squad who started off the season with several promising wins. The team suffered from a heavy mid-season slump, losing their way out of the A-10’s championships, something that comes as a blow to first-year coach Taylor Thames, as his squad was off to a promising start at the beginning of the season. With several seniors and graduate students graduating in the upcoming semester, Thames has to look at his bench and his younger players as the future for his squad. At the time of writing this article, the La Salle Explorers came away with a 4-1 win against Columbia University, with Senior Forward Nigel Buckley recording his first collegian hat trick, with his three goals coming at the 55th, 80th, and 83rd minutes of the game. 

While this win is important for the Explorers, coach Thames must develop his younger players more. The majority of the starters for the squad are upperclassmen, something that will affect the Explorers’ performance in the upcoming years, as his most developed underclassmen are Justin Brunow and Dominick Bachstein. Both players have received their fair share of playtime during this season, the first for Bechstein, who overcame a season-ending injury during the 2020-2021 season. Regardless, the Explorers and coach Thames are bound to face an uphill battle in the upcoming season, something that will be interesting to see. 

Siobhan Nolan, Staff

The women’s soccer team spent Senior Day the right way, taking a dramatic double-overtime win in their match against UMass. 

La Salle would nab the first scoring chance of the game, with Shea Collins making a brilliant run down the field in the 22nd minute. Collins would then find Molly O’Brien, who would pass the ball off to Kelli McGroarty, whose shot would be on target, but saved by the UMass goalie.

After going into halftime 0-0, the Explorers would draw first blood, taking the lead in the 52nd minute of play. Senior Camaren Cox would bring the ball up the left side of the field to find freshman Haley Gschrey, whose shot would make it into the far left side of the net to put La Salle ahead 1-0. 

The game remained largely defensive from that point on, but the Minutewomen would eventually get an equalizer late in the game. Olivia Gouldsbury found Macy Graves, who headed the ball past La Salle goalie Jordyn Stallard to even the scoreboard at 1-1. 

As the game went into its first period of overtime, Mary Kate Vinkler stayed on the ball to try and assist another Gschrey goal, but the freshman wasn’t able to capitalize on the chance. 

Although Gschrey’s chance didn’t work out, the Explorers would enjoy the game-winner, thanks to another excellent play by Cox. The senior assisted the game-winning goal in the 107th minute, sending a perfectly timed ball to McGroarty, who sent the ball straight past the opposing goalkeeper to seal the win for Blue & Gold in double overtime. 

In addition to their win, the Explorers enjoyed outshooting the Minutewomen 18-12, along with sharing the corner kicks five apiece. Gschrey was the main part of the La Salle attack, recording five shots on goal, while Stallard had a stellar eight saves.

Josh DeLillo, Staff

Well, it was bound to happen, Raider Nation left SoFi Stadium very disappointed as Vegas was handed their first loss of the season, and it was an ugly one against their division rival. The Raiders started very sluggish, which seems to be a common theme this season, as they let the Chargers have a three touchdown lead at halftime. In the first stretch of the season, they have had to come back from behind to win, which has not been a problem for veteran quarterback Derek Carr. In the matchups against the Ravens and Dolphins, they were down by two touchdowns in the first half and still managed to pull off the victories in overtime thrillers. Even though the Raiders fought back in the second half against Los Angeles, it was too much as the final score was 28-14. This loss in Primetime poses the question, are the Raiders and their field general quarterback still a threat in the AFC?

Ever since Jon Gruden returned to the Raiders back in 2018, there was speculation of whether or not Carr had the mental toughness to deal with his head coach, as Gruden is known to be really tough and demanding of his quarterbacks. Carr has pushed the rumors of him getting traded or replaced by a rookie to the side every offseason since Gruden’s return. He has been playing arguably his best football this season and the numbers back it up. In the season opener against Baltimore, Carr put up 435 yards, two touchdowns, and an 89.5 passer rating. In the next two games against Pittsburgh and Miami, Carr threw just shy of 400 yards and two touchdowns and finished with a passer rating above 100 in both games. Currently, he leads the league in passing yards, which shatters the dink-and-doink narrative that was falsely placed on him a few seasons ago. 

Carr can thank his receiver core for his solid numbers this year as Ruggs, Renfrow, Edwards and the versatile tight end Darren Waller all had above 200 receiving yards entering the game Monday night. Carr has one of the most accurate deep balls in the league, which has been compared to the likes of Aaron Rodgers while stretching the field vertically without putting too much power on his passes. Al Davis was a huge fan of the deep ball and would have loved to see Carr launch the ball under the lights of Las Vegas. It is without a doubt that Carr has a better supporting cast on both sides of the ball this year, which has been in high demand. Many members of Raider Nation knew Carr had the talents, just needed some help on the defensive side of the ball, and that was evident as Carr has the most 4th quarter and overtime comebacks by any quarterback as of 2015. Even though Monday’s loss was a heartbreak for the Silver and Black, the defense and their pass rush have been consistent which is something to look forward to in their next match-up.  ​​

The Raiders will be looking to bounce back at home in Allegiant Stadium after the heartbreaking loss Monday night. Carr’s firepower on offense and his rebuilt offensive line will have a tough task ahead of them as they face off against former teammate Khalil Mack and the Chicago Bears. It is in Gruden’s game plan to have a quick start on Sunday. “I have to be better at play-calling in the beginning moments of the game,” Gruden admitted after the loss Monday night. If they want to be contenders in the AFC, the Raiders will need to step up in running the football in order to control the pace of the game, which has been lackluster so far this season and a staple of Gruden’s offense. The depth of this new Raiders’ defense will also be tested in the short week, with loads of injuries in the secondary after Monday’s game. It is definitely going to be another week of adversity for Raider Nation, heading into the second stretch of the season, but they will be looking to grab another win after the gut-punch loss in primetime.

Samantha Boyes, Staff

This past Friday, La Salle Swimming and Diving hosted Drexel University for their annual Pink Meet to support Breast Cancer Awareness. The team wore pink shirts during the home opener after their long two-day meet at Boston College last weekend. While both the men and women honorably took the loss, with the women’s score ending at  168-130 and the men’s ending at 167 to 94, the Explorers still had some pretty impressive highlights.

Starting on the boards, the women did a phenomenal job starting with the one meter. Fifth-year Julie D’Amore led the women with a first-place lead with a score of 240.60. Phoebe Shaya shortly followed with a score of 234.90 and then junior Erica Kenski scored 229.75. The women swept the boards. Shortly after, Shaya had a great personal score of 290 on the 3 meters.

Shaya stated after the meet that  “this weekend went really well. The swimmers did really well, and the divers took one, two, and three on both boards. I was super happy with how I did on Friday because I was three points away from breaking the school record and also qualified for zones. That definitely made me feel good about how I am doing so far in the season and I’m looking forward to future meets with my teammates.” 

Out of the diving well, the La Salle swimmers also had some highlights in the pool. Annie Moser started the women’s team off strong with first place in the 1000 freestyle. The captain set the perfect tone with her strong race. Following that, junior Toni Rafferty finished first in the 200 fly with a time of 2.11:74 and sophomore Sam Boyes shortly touched the wall right after. The women finished one and two. Finishing the meet off strong, Sara Rizzetto caught the win in the 200 IM. 

While the women did take the loss, they remain strong as they prepare for the rest of the season. The ladies have a tri-meet against Delaware and Rider on Nov. 13, giving them plenty of time to get some hard work in.