#61 of 351 17% complete
I was joined by my cousin Brian for the next two games. Brian’s coworker’s wife works in the Lasalle athletic department. He set up a very cool surprise for me. During a time out, my Operation 351 mission was announced to the crowd. I was wished luck on my journey and given a Lasalle hat by a dance team member. My picture was flashed on the big screen. Thanks Brian for a special day!
You could see my cousin in the big screen holding the phone up. I was greeted by several fans asking questions about my quest. I do this for myself but it is always fun to meet folks who wish they could be doing what I am doing.
My favorite Lasalle player was named Pookie Powell. How can you go wrong with a name like that? Both teams played hard in this Atlantic 10 battle. I have still have horrific memories of the George Mason win against UCONN in 2006 when the 11th seeded Patriots defeated my beloved number one seed Huskies in the Elite 8 game.
If you decide to go to the Tom Gala arena, I would suggest that you eat somewhere else ahead of time. There is only one concession stand that gets quickly overwhelmed at half time. However a shout out to Lasalle for providing free parking at the Shoppes at Lasalle shopping center. Too many colleges are starting to inflate their parking charges to make some revenue.
Both teams are suffering through a mediocre season with Lasalle at 11-16 and George Mason at 12 -15. But is cool to see a team like this battle it out in its league tournament a week before March Madness starts. Sometimes a Cinderella does slip through for a team you saw during the year.
The Lasalle mascot is one of the coolest mascots. When your team name is an Explorer, you need a keen imagination to come up with an outfit looking like one.
My player of the game was Tony Washington of Lasalle. This 6’10 230 pound center was an imposing figure on both ends of the court. George Mason had no match up for him. Good to see Duane Simpkins the Maryland alumni on the George Mason bench. You feel your age when you see players that you watched a few years ago now end up as coaches.
There were was quite a contingent of Patriots fans at the game making the trek from Virginia.
Next game: Duquense at St.Josephs 02/17/18
journey to 351 