La Salle coach returns to celebrate Profs' championship

• Rowan senior guard Kris O’Connor hit a 3-pointer to give the Profs an 11-8 lead in the first half.
• La Salle junior guard Jordan Price scored a game-high 19 points.

GLASSBORO – Dr. John Giannini not only looked right at home on the sideline at Rowan University, but the former Profs men's basketball coach felt like he did 20 years ago at Esby Gym.

“There is nothing in that gym that I wouldn’t be used to. If you handed me the mop I'd be used to it,” Giannini said after a special Saturday afternoon.

Giannini, the head coach at La Salle University, brought his Division I Explorers to Rowan’s home floor to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 1996 NCAA Division III national championship team.

“To see the multitude of former faculty, alums and former players meant more to me than I could possibly say,” Giannini said after La Salle pulled away for an 81-51 win after leading by just 10 points at the half in front of a sold-out crowd.

“To see all these great players that I've coached in the past, who I owe everything to, is really overwhelming.”

Twelve former players from the title team and the entire coaching staff reunited with Giannini on this day.

“I thought it would be a very special day, and it was better,” said Rowan coach Joe Cassidy, an assistant on the 1996 team. “The atmosphere, the packed house, the whole day was great.

“I just wished we played a little better in the second half.”

La Salle (4-1) used a game-high 19 points from Jordan Price to keep Rowan from appearing on ESPN with an upset.

“They were playing with a little bit more fire than us,” Price, a 6-foot-5 junior guard from Georgia, said about the first 20 minutes. “As a team, we wanted to get this win for Coach. It was an honor to come here and play. It was a great experience.”

Although Rowan dropped to 2-5, the experience can only help in New Jersey Athletic Conference play.

“It gives us a lot of confidence,” said Kris O’Connor, a senior guard from Paul VI High School.

Big 5 Hall of Famer Dan Baker, a West Deptford resident who played basketball for the Profs in the mid-1960’s, added to the special event as the public address announcer.

Players from the championship team who returned for the game included former South Jersey high school stars Ryan Cochrane (Pemberton), Osco Williams (Bridgeton), Toure Sealey (Rancocas Valley), Chris Lavender (Moorestown), Brian LaVoe (Cherry Hill East), Robert Scott (Pleasantville), Brian Bouchard (Shawnee), Joe Lewis (Sterling) and Demetrius Poles (Delsea).

“Overall, it was beautiful,” said Poles, who is now an assistant coach with the Profs. “I wish we could do this every five years. It was great to see so many old faces and share what we accomplished.”

All five assistant coaches under Giannini for the championship win over Hope (Michigan) - Cassidy, Dave Lafferty, Chris Martin, Bob Pedrick and Ben Lynch - shared the spotlight.

“It was great for Rowan University and it was great for Rowan University basketball,” Lafferty said. “And I can’t say enough about John Giannini. He never forgot where he came from.”

Rowan players, coaches and managers of the 1996 team were honored at halftime. However, Giannini missed the reunion photo on the court as he was down in the locker room talking to his current team.

“I didn’t know about it,” said Giannini, who coached seven seasons (1989-1996) at Rowan and left with a 168-38 record.

The last time a Division I team traveled to a Division III school was when Villanova played at Redlands in 2003. The last time the Explorers played a non-Division I team during the regular season was in 2007 against Division II Puerto-Rico Mayaguez in the San Juan Shootout.

Rowan’s last win against a Division I school was a 71-69 victory over Rider in 1979. Since the NCAA started the three-division model in 1973, the Profs are 6-18 against Division I teams. La Salle is 5-0 against Division III teams.

"I'm the same guy if we are playing Kentucky or Rowan,” Giannini said about his preparation for the game. “I don't deviate and the players tried to file suit as much as they possibly could.”

With 14 minutes left in the first half, O’Connor hit a 3-pointer to give the Profs an 11-8 lead.

“I was thinking we could win this game,” O’Connor said. “I think it could’ve been closer. But I think it gives us the confidence that we can play with anyone.”

Rowan hung tough as Josh Borrelli hit a corner 3-pointer with five minutes left in the half to cut the deficit to 26-20.

“It was awesome playing a Division I team,” said Borrelli, a junior guard from Shawnee. “We played at Princeton last year, but to have a Division I team come here with a real good crowd was really fun.

“It was a real cool experience.”

No one, though, enjoyed the event more than the man who made it possible.

"It exceeded my expectations,” Giannini said.

Kevin Callahan; (856) 486-2424; kcallahan@gannettnj.com

LA SALLE 81, ROWAN 51

Play of the game: Rowan senior guard Kris O’Connor hit a 3-pointer to give the Profs an 11-8 lead with 14 minutes left in the first half.

Player of the game: La Salle junior guard Jordan Price scored a game-high 19 points, including 11 in the first half when Rowan trailed by just 10 at the break.

Well said: “Every team has good players. You saw they have good players.” - Price on Rowan