Tom Gola Arena

Disgusted at watching Mount St. Mary's carve up La Salle's man-to-man defense for the first 28 minutes of the game, Explorers coach John Giannini dialed up the zone, a defense his team doesn't play much, to try to cool off the opponent. Talk about Christmas magic. The Explorers held the Mountaineers to 2-of-10 shooting and forced three turnovers in the final eight minutes to pick up a 65-59 victory last night at Tom Gola Arena. The Explorers (6-5) trailed by nine points early in the second half and by 48-43 with 11 minutes, 24 seconds to play before Giannini decided to go zone after the half's second media time-out, with the Mountaineers shooting 52.5 percent from the floor at that point.

For the last five years, the La Salle Explorers have been the nomads of the Big Five. They've had two different conferences, three different home courts, about a dozen different practice sites. The lack of stability has hurt the team's chemistry and recruiting. See it here: five consecutive losing seasons, a .355 winning percentage in that span, fewer than 10 wins in two of the last three seasons. Now, firmly established in the Atlantic Ten Conference, the Explorers can unpack the gym bags and enjoy the daily routine, just like most college teams in the country.

LaSalle men's basketball coach John Giannini has received a contract extension through the 2010-11 season, the school announced yesterday. "Dr. John [Giannini] took over our men's basketball program at a critical time and has proven to be the right man for the job," LaSalle athletic director Thomas Brennan said. Last year, in just his second season as head coach, Giannini led the Explorers to an 18-10 record and a third-place finish in the Atlantic Ten - their highest mark since joining the conference in 1995-96.

Turnovers proved costly as the La Salle women's basketball team fell, 56-43, last night at Wichita State. The Explorers committed 27 turnovers in the loss. Morgan Robertson led La Salle (1-4) with 11 points, and Tara Lapetina scored nine. The Explorers next play at 1 p.m. Sunday when they host Lehigh at Tom Gola Arena.

Who: La Salle (7-4) vs. Cornell (9-2) When: 4 o'clock Where: Tom Gola Arena TV/Radio: None/WHAT (1340-AM) Who: Drexel (6-6) vs. Rhode Island (9-1) When: 7 o'clock Where: Daskalakis Athletic Center TV/Radio: Comcast Network/ www.drexeldragons.com Who: Saint Joseph's (4-6) at Siena (7-4) When: 7 o'clock Where: Times Union Center, Albany, N.Y. TV/Radio: None/WNTP (990-AM)

Who: Xavier (8-5) at La Salle (7-6) When: 7 o'clock Where: Tom Gola Arena TV/Radio: None/WHAT (1340-AM) Notes: This is the Atlantic 10 opener for both schools. Xavier has won the last three conference regular-season titles . . . Game features the top two scorers in the league with Xavier's Jordan Crawford (19.2 ppg.) and La Salle's Rodney Green (18.9) . . . La Salle is 17th nationally in three-point percentage (.410) and first in the A-10 . . . Abington Friends product Jason Love leads the Musketeers in rebounding (9.4 per game)

La Salle staved off a second-half rally to beat Rider, 55-54, in a women's basketball game yesterday at Alumni Gymnasium in Lawrenceville, N.J. Tara Lapetina, Danielle Mickiewicz and Ashley Gale (12 rebounds) scored nine points apiece for La Salle (3-7), which led 28-23 at the half. Caitlin Bopp (12 points, 15 rebounds) led Rider (2-7). The Explorers host Villanova at the Tom Gola Arena tomorrow at 1 p.m. In another game: At Temple, Laura Sweeney and Maria Getty fueled a 44-32 Villanova upset of the Owls.

Morgan Robertson was scoreless in La Salle's win at Villanova on Friday, but she had 14 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Explorers (2-0) to a 71-57 victory over Long Island yesterday at Tom Gola Arena. Margaret Elderton (16 points), Jamie Walsh (11) and Ashley Gale (11) each nailed three three-pointers for La Salle. In other area games: At Saint Joseph's, Brittany Ford scored 19 points, Ashley Logue and Mary Kate McDade 14 each as the Hawks (1-1) topped Lehigh, 71-63.

LAURA SWEENEY scored 24 points on 10-for-12 shooting and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds to lead Villanova (6-2, 1-0 Big 5) past La Salle, 67-51, in women's Big 5 action from the Tom Gola Arena yesterday. Brittany Wilson dropped a season-high 24 for La Salle (2-7, 0-1). * At UNC Wilmington, Kamile Nacickaite netted 17 points and Hollie Mershon hit 16 to lead Drexel (4-2, 1-0 CAA) to a 58-43 win over the Seahawks (2-4, 0-1) in the Colonial Athletic Association opener for both teams.

A dominant first half and a 13-point performance by Mariame Djouara helped Saint Joseph's secure a 68-62 upset over Dayton in a women's basketball game at Hagan Arena last night. The Hawks, who took a 40-27 lead into halftime, improved to 2-1 in Atlantic 10 play (9-9 overall). Justine Raterman and Casey Nance led Dayton (14-4, 2-1) with 11 points apiece. In another women's game, La Salle's Ashley Gale scored a team-high 16 points in a 58-39 loss to St. Bonaventure at Tom Gola Arena.

LOS ANGELES - Watching La Salle fall one more upset short of becoming the first No. 13 seed to reach the NCAA Elite Eight, you could argue three Explorers NCAA wins are testament to a school showing patience with a coach, since John Giannini got to March Madness in his ninth season on Olney Avenue. Or maybe it was a coach showing patience with a school. Forget what you just saw. Did you think La Salle was a place where such a run was possible? Was anybody convinced that the Explorers could recruit the players necessary to compete in the Atlantic Ten, let alone make an NCAA run?

La Salle senior Ramon Galloway had just brought down the house with a thunderous dunk, and his father, Gerald, sitting in Tom Gola Arena, was in his glory. The elder Galloway is as enthusiastic as the rest of the Explorers faithful, even though he must sense the play instead of watching it. Gerald Galloway has been blind since 1993 after being shot in a dispute in Tioga. He said the shooter died before the case went to trial, but it illustrates the rough-and-tumble life that both the elder Galloway and his son have experienced.

Nothing is given, it must be earned. John Giannini learned that early. His father had made it to Chicago from Italy in his 20s and found the opportunity he sought in the plumbing trade. The colder the Chicago nights, the more likely Manfredo Giannini would be called out to fix water main breaks. "He had real rough hands," Giannini said this week, standing inside Tom Gola Arena. "He had a huge swollen elbow just from overuse. Then he had a nice little side business. He always prayed for rain because when people's basements flooded, the word was out, if you needed a sump, call Fred Giannini.

If La Salle is to advance in the NCAA tournament this week it will be without 6-foot-11 sophomore center Steve Zack. Before Monday's practice at Tom Gola Arena, La Salle coach John Giannini said that Zack's sprained left foot will keep him out of action for at least another week. "He is week to week and hopefully we are still playing next week," said Giannini, whose team opens action with Wednesday's 9:10 p.m. first-round game against Boise State in Dayton, Ohio. The winner meets Kansas State on Friday in Kansas City, and that winner will play on Sunday for a chance to go to the Sweet 16. Zack, who will travel with the team, has missed the last three games.

TOM GOLA Born: Jan. 13, 1933. Age 80 Birthplace: Philadelphia High school: La Salle College: La Salle (1951-55). Led Explorers to 1954 NCAA national championship and runner-up finish in 1955. National player of the year in 1954 and UPI player of year in 1955. Most Outstanding Player in 1954 Final Four. Three-time All-America. NIT co-MVP in 1952, as Explorers took NIT title College stats: Gola was a 6-6 forward. He averaged 20.9 points and 19.0 rebounds. Had 2,201 career rebounds, still an NCAA record PRO BASKETBALL CAREER: * Drafted by Philadelphia Warriors in 1955 as a territorial pick * Warriors: 1955-62; Knicks: 1962-66 * NBA champion in 1956 with Warriors * 5-time NBA All-Star * Stats: Points 7,871 (11.3 ppg)

The tarnished remnants in tiny Tom Gola Arena are reminders of La Salle basketball's increasingly distant golden era. Trophies and mementos from the Explorers' 1950s NCAA and NIT titles, along with photos of Gola, the homegrown superstar who made those championships possible, are ubiquitous inside the 3,400-seat facility that is itself a relic. "La Salle is known for lots of things, but a very prominent one is our basketball history," said athletic director Tom Brennan. "When we're not doing well, we don't get to think about it much.

DAYTON, Ohio - Gus Chialastri, 90, subscribes to the perfect philosophy for a La Salle basketball fan. "I'm thankful for the good in my life," he says, "and I just accept the bad!" For the past 2 decades, there has been a lot of acceptance for Chialastri and the other La Salle faithful. For the past 2 decades, there has been a lot of bad La Salle basketball. Wednesday night, the Explorers will play in their first NCAA Tournament game in 21 years. It is a wonderful gift for Chialastri, who celebrated his birthday Saturday.

Here's definite evidence that John Giannini has a quick ball club: "The players jumped up, and I didn't even get to see it," the Explorers coach said. "Lost my moment. " Players had erupted out of their seats Sunday when La Salle's name appeared on the television screen during the NCAA tournament selection show. The name didn't appear until the last regional was unveiled on CBS. I've been at close NCAA games with less tension in the air than inside that little conference room down the hall from the basketball office at Tom Gola Arena.

Fittingly, things went down to the wire for La Salle on Selection Sunday. The tension was more than any Atlantic Ten game. Finally, with the CBS NCAA tournament selection show announcing the final teams in the final region, La Salle heard its name called for the first time in 21 years. The Explorers (21-9) will compete in a first-round game Wednesday at 9:10 p.m. in Dayton against Boise State (21-10) for the right to earn the No. 13 seed. The winner meets No. 4-seeded Kansas State (27-7)

Fittingly, things went down to the wire for La Salle on Selection Sunday. The tension was more than any Atlantic Ten game. Finally, with the CBS NCAA tournament selection show announcing the final teams in the final region, La Salle heard its name called for the first time in 21 years. The Explorers (21-9) will compete in a first-round game Wednesday at 9:10 p.m. in Dayton against Boise State (21-10) for the right to earn the No. 13 seed. The winner meets No. 4-seeded Kansas State (27-7)