The Big 5 will not have a team in the NCAA tournament for the third straight season.
By AARON BRACY
November 4, 2024
The beginning of the 2024-25 season was a historic one for the Big 5, as all six Philadelphia Division I teams won on the same day for just the second time in history, according to Bob Vetrone.
Here’s a roundup of the six games:
–Villanova 75, Lafayette 63: With Eric Dixon sidelined due to a one-game suspension for his participation in the Portsmouth Invitational, Villanova overcame a slow start to down Lafayette.
Wooga Poplar starred in his Wildcats debut after transferring from Miami, with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals.
The Wildcats led by just one point at halftime but scored 22 of the first 32 points after intermission to gain control.
“I thought our guys came out and attempted to play hard,” coach Kyle Neptune told reporters afterward. “I thought we got some key stops when we needed them, some turnovers when we needed them.”
Poplar shot 8 of 13 from the field, including 2 of 3 from the arc, in 33 minutes, 43 seconds.
“I just try and compete and be the best teammate I can be,” Poplar said. “I just try to get the W. If we’re all committed and doing what we’re supposed to do, I feel like it will work.”
La Salle transfer Jhamir Brickus had 13 points and four assists; Enoch Boakye added 10 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks; and freshman Josiah Moseley had 10 points.
Villanova had 17 turnovers and shot 30.8 percent from the arc.
–Saint Joseph’s 70, Navy 63: The Hawks got in an 11-0 hole and were down 44-32 early in the second half before recovering from what would have been a season-altering defeat. St. Joe’s, picked third in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll, has hopes of an NCAA tournament bid. An at-large berth could’ve been dashed with a season-opening home defeat to the Midshipmen.
Erik Reynolds II had 29 points and made six three-pointers, and Xzayvier Brown scored 22 points. The rest of the Hawks were quiet offensively.
–Temple 81, Sacred Heart 70: Jamal Mashburn Jr. had a scintillating debut, with 26 points on 10 of 16 field goal shooting, marking the 100th time in his career he’s reached double figures in scoring.
“It felt good to get a win,” Mashburn, a transfer from New Mexico, said. “I’m always in attack mode. I’m always ready to score.”
Steve Settle III filled up the box score for the Owls, with 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and three blocks. Jameel Brown contributed 11 points in his first game for Temple after the North Philadelphia native transferred from Penn State.
The Owls used a 17-3 run to erase a 52-46 deficit with 12:34 to play.
Elijay Gray (concussion protocol), a transfer from Fordham, didn’t play for the Owls.
–Penn 58, NJIT 57: Penn trailed 52-35 with just over 13 minutes left in the second half but ran off 17 consecutive unanswered points and tallied 23 of the final 28 points.
“I’m certainly proud of our effort, in particular just the grit that we showed,” coach Steve Donahue said.
Junior college transfer Dylan Williams had 17 points to pace Penn, which got 15 from Drake transfer Ethan Roberts.
–La Salle 65, American 52: The Explorers opened Glaser Arena with a solid performance against American. Rider transfer Corey McKeithan had 16 points and three assists to lead the Explorers. Sophomore guard Eric Acker (eligibility issue), a transfer from LIU, didn’t play for the Explorers.
Read more about the game and Glaser in our column by clicking HERE.
–Drexel 95, Georgian Court 43: Horace Simmons Jr. went off for 24 points on eight three-pointers in his first game for the Dragons after the former La Salle College High School standout redshirted last season. Kobe MaGee added 14 points and Yame Butler netted 13 against Division II Georgian Court.
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Aaron Bracy has been covering Philadelphia sports since 1996. His byline regularly appears on Associated Press stories. Follow Bracy on X: @Aaron_Bracy and like his Facebook and Instagram pages. His book on the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s men’s basketball team is expected to be published on March 1, 2025. Read a summary and preorder it by clicking HERE. Contact him at aaron@big5hoops.com.