Jon Salandra's athleticism is
well-documented. Franklin and Marshall athletics photo |
GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- After an up-and-under layup, two free throws, a block, a steal, and an assist in the first six minutes of the game, Jon Salandra sits on the Franklin and Marshall bench participating in the Diplomats’ “Defense” chant, pausing only to wipe sweat from his brow, and clear his nose as he battles a cold.
One of the things Franklin and Marshall has been working on this year is bench enthusiasm. When he isn’t on the floor, Salandra does his best to keep the team motivated. But when he is on the floor, he can fire up the team with just one dunk.
On Wednesday, five minutes into the second half, Gettysburg’s Sango Amolo attempted to swing the ball from the top of the key to Ben Constabile, curling around the left wing. Salandra used his lanky 82-inch wingspan to deflect the pass, and start a break.
“I saw no one really coming to chase me, and every day I practice backwards dunks,” Salandra said. “I went up, brought the ball down a little bit, and threw it down hard.”
The Diplomats jumped off their bench, and Michael Curland, a Gettysburg junior in the stands, rose to his feet too. Curland and Salandra played on the same varsity basketball team at Hackley, a private K-12 school in Westchester, N.Y.
Salandra didn’t linger on the rim, upon returning to the ground he did a little shuffle to regain his balance and ran back on defense. Balance is big for Salandra.
In his freshman year at Franklin and Marshall, Salandra played basketball and baseball. And with plans of becoming a doctor, he declared pre-med as his major.
With limited time, and aspiring to get his grades as high as possible, Salandra knew he would only have the time to play one sport in the years to come. “I looked at my potential in each sport. I love both, but I felt basketball would be the better fit for me going forward for the next three years,” Salandra said.
While his coach, Glenn Robinson played basketball and baseball himself at West Chester, there is no doubt in his mind, Salandra made the correct decision. “He went from being a player that got very few minutes and was struggling to find a position, rocking back and forth between the perimeter and inside, to a player that has had All-Conference recognition,” Robinson said.
Salandra has been a strong component of great Franklin and Marshall teams. For example, last year Salandra started 29 of 31 games and the Diplomats finished 28-3.
This season Salandra averages 8.6 points, and 7.4 rebounds in 26.6 minutes a game.
As his role has increased, his skills have improved. “He has increased his awareness offensively so that now he is a very good passer. It’s not a case of whether he scores, but we score,” Robinson said.
Going into Wednesday’s game at Gettysburg, the Diplomats were 16-5 overall, and 11-3 in the Centennial Conference, but under .500 on the road, with a record of 4-5.
Gettysburg always plays Franklin and Marshall tough, and on Dec. 5 the Diplomats’ Hayk Gyokchyan hit a go-ahead three pointer with 19 seconds left to defeat the Bullets.
On Wednesday, Gettysburg erased a 17-point deficit to bring the game within two points with four minutes remaining. After missing four consecutive attempts from the floor, Salandra was fouled by Derek Brooks, and went to the line with 3:47 to go.
In high school, Salandra admittedly struggled in these situations. If he wasn’t hot, he wouldn’t look to attack the basket. “I would kind of get in my own head that if I missed a shot, I wasn’t able to score,” Salandra said.
But Salandra sank both free throws as he faced the Gettysburg student section trying to make him crack by chanting his high school friend, Michael Curland’s name.
“When he stood up, I almost lost focus,” Salandra said laughing. “But I had to battle through.”
Salandra finished with 11 points, two blocks and four steals in the 56-49 Franklin and Marshall victory.
Women’s Top 25
No. 7 Montclair State moves up a spot in the Top 25 as they are still undefeated at 22-0 after a huge 79-36 win over New Jersey City. Melissa Tobie scored 19 points in the win for the Red Hawks. No. 13 Catholic stays where they are in the Top 25 after narrowly defeating Susquehanna 54-53. Jill Woerner scored 17 points for the Cardinals who improved to 10-1 in the Landmark conference. No. 10 Messiah moves up a spot from last week after crushing Stevenson by a score of 84-50. Forwards Kira Maier and Dori Gyori combined for 22 rebounds and 31 points for the Falcons. No. 19 Lebanon Valley jumps two spots from last week after defeating Lycoming 62-55. The Dutchmen had three players in double figures: Caitlin Bach with 17, Tierney Hiltz with 14, and Renee Fritz with 11.
Men’s Top 25
No. 8 Catholic moves up from No. 11 after defeating Susquehanna 74-53. Steve Limberiou scored 29 points, going 7-for-10 from beyond the arc. Shawn Holmes scored 21 points for the Cardinals in the win. No. 10 Ramapo jumped three spots after a close 72-69 loss at Rutgers-Newark. Four Ramapo players were in double figures: Elgin Brown with 19, Will Sanborn with 14, Anthony Lorusso with 14, and Garret Thiel with 11. No. 12 St. Mary’s (Md.) jumped two spots after a decisive 73-53 win over Frostburg State. Donn Hill and Nick Laguerre scored 16 and 15 respectively. The Seahawks are 20-2 overall and 8-1 in the Capital Athletic Conference.