Quick Report: La Salle 79, Carleton 73

B.J. Johnson (above, left) had 18 points and 11 rebounds in his unofficial La Salle debut. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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La Salle got a chance to work out any final preseason kinks with an exhibition clash against Canadian powerhouse Carleton. Though the Ravens put up a strong fight early, the talent and physicality of the Explorers proved to be too much in a 79-73 win.

At First…
With three newly-eligible transfers getting their first live-game action in a year and a half, the Explorers came out a little rusty. La Salle made just two of its first 11 shots, as Carleton held an early advantage at the first media timeout, 7-5.

Turning Point…
Senior guard Jordan Price opened the game on the bench, but made his presence felt immediately upon entering just past the 13:30 mark of the first half. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard knocked down four 3-pointers in a 2:19 span, turning what had been a 10-9 deficit into a 23-13 lead before Carleton could even catch its breath.

Though La Salle led 40-29 at halftime, Carleton hung tight the entire second half, cutting the deficit to as few as two with 4:18 left. But La Salle was able to put its foot down at that point, taking advantage of several missed 3s by the Ravens to go back up by eight on a B.J. Johnson put-back slam with 2:42 remaining before holding on for the win.

Standout Stars…
Though Price -- the Explorers’ leading scorer each of the last two years -- came off the bench, he didn’t have any problem getting into his usual bucket-getting rhythm. Those four quick triples accounted for 12 of his game-high 23 points in 28 minutes, as he shot 6-for-16 from the floor, including 5-for-12 on 3-pointers.

One of several local products on the roster, Lower Merion grad B.J. Johnson had a more-than-solid first game in a La Salle uniform. The 6-7 wing, who spent the first two years of his college career at Syracuse before coming back to Philadelphia, poured in 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting (2-3 on 3s), completing a double-double with 11 rebounds along with two blocks, a steal and an assist.

Carleton fifth-year senior Kaza Kajami-Keane, an Ottawa native, paced the Ravens with 22 points on 8-of-18 shooting (4-8 on 3s), adding in seven assists to boot.

Noteworthy Number(s)...
85: The combined number of minutes for transfers B.J. Johnson, Pookie Powell and Demetrius Henry in their first live-game action in Explorers uniforms. All three were in the starting lineup, with Johnson (34 minutes) and Powell (33) rarely hitting the bench, while Henry (18) wasn’t quite on top of his game, making just 1-of-8 from the floor.

Up Next…
La Salle (0-0) @ Temple (0-0) -- Fri., Nov. 11, 7 PM; Liacouras Center