Dialog reporter
CHESTER, Pa. – Rain was not in the forecast on Dec. 30, but inside the Schwartz Center at Widener University, it was pouring. Three-point shots fell like raindrops from the sky for La Salle College High School as the Explorers made 13 of them on the way to an 80-58 win over St. Elizabeth at the Pete and Jameer Nelson Classic.
The Explorers opened with a pair of two-pointers, but then they unleashed their long-distance assault. They had four triples in the first quarter alone, including one from 6-7 sophomore center Zach Crisler, who hit nothing but net from the top of the key. La Salle simply could not miss in the first half, with Crisler and classmate Konrad Kiszka hitting inside and Sean Simon doing the damage from the perimeter
St. Elizabeth, which came into the game with a 4-1 record, did not play poorly, but they just could not keep up with La Salle’s torrid shooting. Jordan Money and Nate Thomas each had nine points in the first half, but the Vikings trailed, 45-26, at intermission.
The break did nothing to cool off the Explorers, who came out firing in the third. Simon had three triples in the quarter, including two on consecutive possessions, and La Salle had five overall. Money added two threes of his own in the third, and St. Elizabeth had its highest-scoring quarter of the game, but they could not cut anything off the lead.
Money finished with a game-high 21, while Thomas added 11. The Vikings are off for a week before hosting Salesianum next Friday at 7:30 p.m.