Lions hold off Anteaters to finish non-conference play at .500

Drew Viney led the Lions with 22 points in tonight's win over Irvine | Photo taken by Julia Pine

Drew Viney again had a big game against UC Irvine (6-8), leading LMU (7-7) with 22 points and ten rebounds to an eventual 87-80 win. Five players scored in double figures for the Lions, who allowed a 19 point second-half lead dwindle down to four with just four minutes remaining. Clutch free throw shooting from Anthony Ireland pushed the lead back to eight with less than a minute to play and the Lions held on for the win, snapping a two-game losing streak.

The Lions have now finished non-conference play, and stand at an even 7-7 on the season.

Viney had his seventh double-double of the season and guard Vernon Teel had added 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Teel also went 10-13 from the free throw line. Point guard Anthony Ireland chipped in 15 points and six assists, going a perfect 6-6 from the stripe.

Larry Davis and Tim Diederichs scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The Lions played without center Edgar Garibay, and center Godwin Okonji had early foul trouble, leaving LMU somewhat shorthanded in the front court. Despite playing with less size, LMU outscored UC Irvine 38-18 in the paint, and out-rebounded them 37-28.

The Lions will now have a week off to prepare for WCC play. The conference schedule starts with a bang for LMU, as they host defending WCC Tournament champs St. Mary's on Thursday. The game tips off at 6 p.m and can be seen on ESPNU.

Update: Future Lion Bruce English starting season strong

Bruce English, who signed his NLI in Novemeber to join LMU's men's basketball team next fall, is starting his senior season strong for the La Verne Lutheran boys basketball team. English most recently led the Trojans (2-1) to an opening round win on Tuesday at the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C, contributing a team-high 24 points and 13 rebounds.

The Trojans lost their second game of the tournament, but were again led by English who put in a team-high 17 points.


English is currently the only recruit committed to the Lions for the 2011 recruiting class. At the conclusion of the season the Lions will say goodbye to at least guards Vernon Teel and Larry Davis, who will have both used up their D-I eligibility, meaning there is still one roster spot open for next season.

Lions look to even record in final non-conference game tomorrow

Drew Viney is leading the Lions in scoring and rebounding this season | Courtesy of Facebook

The Lions (6-7) head to UC Irvine tomorrow for their final non-conference match-up of the season.The Anteaters, who also sit on a 6-7 record, are coming off of three straight losses, the most recent being a five-point loss to UC Riverside last night.

The Lions are also looking to snap a losing streak, having dropping two straight decisions to Florida State and then South Dakota. The Lions and Anteaters faced off in LMU's home opener last season, but despite holding a 14-point lead (sound familiar?) and receving a 30-point game from Drew Viney, the Lions eventually fell 84-78.

LMU will look for revenge tomorrow against a team who has had an up and down season. Before losing to UC Riverside last night, UC Irvine played UCLA down to the wire less than one week ago. Although losing by one point, the Anteaters put together an extremely solid game.

UC Irvine has faced two WCC teams already this season, faring 1-1 in the contests. The Anteaters beat a struggling San Diego team on December 1 before falling to Pepperdine by seven-points two weeks ago. The team is led by Darren Moore, who is leading the squad with 16.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

The game tips off in Irvine at 7 p.m. After that, the Lions will open their WCC schedule at home on Jan. 6 against Saint Mary's.

Just For Fun

I'm guessing Lions fans could use a laugh at this point, so I decided to try something new (and the picture was too good to keep to myself). Feel free to leave "captions" in the comment section below.

Photo taken by Julia Pine

Shout-out to Ben from Max's Maniacs (Max Good's unofficial fan club) for constantly providing LMU fans with extra entertainment during the home basketball games.

Observations after rewatching the Florida State game

Drew Viney, pictured here sporting a new navy away jersey, has yet to find his long-range jumper this season. | Photo courtesy of Facebook

I sat down and re-watched the LMU vs. Florida State game today, thanks to ESPNU and my tivo, and had a few observations I wanted to share:

• The announcers must have said at least five times that there "needed to be more movement within the LMU offense." I can't say it better myself. There are too many times when players without the ball are stationary, and the LMU offense is relying too heavily on making isolation plays.

• Anthony Ireland needs to take the open three when its there. 

• As I stated in my column earlier today, we NEED to have better defensive adjustments mid-game. In the Florida State game Drew Viney was being beat up inside by Singleton, one of the Florida State big man. It wasn't Viney's fault, Singleton is a bigger, stronger body, but instead of making an adjustment and double-teaming, LMU left it alone and got punished inside  

• Florida State scored in nearly every possession after a timeout. We struggle to do that every game.

• Announcer said down the stretch, "I want to see LMU get Viney a touch this possesion." It didn't happen. I don't know how many times I've uttered that phrase, and didn't get my wish.

• They replayed highlights from last year's win over Gonzaga. The best sports moment I've ever been present for. However, I do have to say that watching clips from last year it is apparent that Drew Viney's outside shot is not where it was last year. He's still our biggest offensive threat, but I don't know what changed; he's not shooting the three in the rhythm he was last season and it can't be denied that it's hurting us.* Last year he shot 43 percent from beyond the arc, this year that number is down to 26. Let's hope he finds his groove for WCC play, because having that inside/outside game makes him so much more of a weapon.

*Drew Viney, despite his shooting struggles, is still leading the Lions in scoring and is invaluable to the team. His shot may have been affected by his shin injury, but regardless you can't argue with the fact that his three just isn't there consistently right now.

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Failing to adjust/improve plagued Lions non-conference season

The Lions have failed to make mid-game adjustments this season | Julia Pine

The Lions (6-7) last non-conference game of the season is this Thursday, as the team will face UC Irvine looking to bring their record to an even .500. Heading into this season expectations for LMU were higher than they had been in years, and with a weak non-conference schedule many (including myself) thought the Lions would have a substantially better record heading into the new year than they do now.

With as much talent as last year, if not more, on this season's roster the Lions struggles are unexpected. The team returned two First-Team All WCC players in Drew Viney and Vernon Teel, in addition to adding impressive freshman like Anthony Ireland and Godwin Okanji who have not only played well for freshman but have succeeded most expectations. Yes, the Lions have faced injury trouble again this year, but that is nothing new, and a season ago LMU was able to play through its injury trouble almost flawlessly.

For things to turnaround for conference play it is extremely important that the team's problems be examined, accepted, and hopefully corrected.So far this season, the Lions biggest problem has been failing to adjust and/or improve throughout the course of the game.

Out of LMU's seven losses this season, I would argue that there are five any Lions fan should still be pretty bitter over, especially if you take into consideration the talent of this year's team compared to last. In my humble opinion, I don't think the Lions should have lost any games other than the team's matchups against Florida State and UC Santa Barbara, games that I watched LMU play hard throughout before eventually losing to what is probably just a better team.

The season started off with a brutal home loss to Morgan State, a game in which the Lions led by four points at the half and as many as 14 mid-way through the second period. Seemingly looking content with a large lead, the Lions played with no sense of urgency or toughness down the stretch, allowing Morgan State to shoot 53 percent in the second half after holding them to just 37 percent in the first. The result was a two-point loss, and some may say props should be given to Morgan State for adjusting their offense and finding a way to attack the Lions defense.

After a win over a non-Division I team, the Lions then lost a heart-breaker to Bradley on the road, a game that was tied up at the half. With six minutes to go in the game, and the score tied at 35 (yes, scored tied at 35 in the SECOND half) the Lions failed to make any improvements, while Bradley was able to establish a lead of nine in just six minutes of play. At the final buzzer LMU fell 45-38. After playing them even for a half, you have to wonder how Bradley all of a sudden became seven-points-better in half number two. The answer seems to be that they made defensive adjustments; after having allowed the Lions to shoot 45 percent in the first half they held LMU to just 32 percent from the field in the second half.

After yet another win over another non-Division I team, the Lions dropped a road game to Rider University by ten points. Most frustrating part? LMU held a one-point lead at the half and somehow managed to get outscored by 11 in the second period. Just 11 minutes into the second half the Lions found themselves down by as many as 14. It is obvious that Rider made adjustment to its defense at halftime, as the Lions shot 50 percent in the first half and just 25 percent in the second.

The next loss for the Lions came to a poor Cal Poly team, who beat LMU 55-48. The Lions had only 21 points at the half, and found themselves down by six. LMU never led in the second half, and this loss had nothing to do with failing to adjust or improve. This was flat out the Lions worst game of the season. They played with little energy, and didn't look like they cared to win.

Then, the Lions gave all LMU fans some hope, when they went on a 4-1 stretch including an OT win over Long Beach State. The one loss? A hardfought one against UC Santa Barbara in a game in which the Lions were missing four scholarship players, including three starters.

But just as many of us thought things had turned around, with three straight wins and then a tough showing against Florida State, the Lions dropped a road game against South Dakota by 12 points, a game in which the Lions were winning by SEVEN at the half. Instead of looking to increase that lead to double-digits, LMU instead let the home team go on a 7-0 run to open the half. The result was a tie game just 2.5 minutes after the half. The Lions were outscored by 19 in the second half, and this time it was the result of  either offensive adjustments by South Dakota or a defensive letdown by the Lions, as South Dakota shot 33 percent in the opening period and 55 percent in the closing one.

Some may think it is counter-productive to dwell on these losses, but it's not. If the Lions can't go into the locker room at halftime and figure out a way to attack a team better then they aren't going to win many conference games. Opposing teams are clearly studying the Lions weaknesses at the half, and then making adjustments to exploit them, and LMU needs to do the same.

The blame here can be pointed at Head Coach Max Good and his coaching staff, or even at the players, but placing blame isn't going solve anything. Instead, either Good and his staff, or the players themselves, need to take it upon themselves to make these mid-game adjustments. A seven point halftime lead should never disappear in two minutes, no matter what team you face and especially against a sub par team like South Dakota.

There is one more non-conference game yet and honestly, it doesn't mean much of anything to the Lions. Having already blown their chance at any sort of at-large bid, the Lions last hope for some postseason action depends solely on how they do in conference play and at the WCC Tournament in March. However, I hope LMU takes this next game against Irvine as an opportunity to try and make positive halftime adjustments. If the Lions hold a halftime lead of five, they shouldn't be happy unless they win the game by ten, as that would still show that the opponent made more of a halftime adjustment, but one that the Lions were able to fight off.

I'm a sports optimist, as I wrote here almost one year ago, and I haven't given up on this team yet. I believe if the Lions can win a half, they can win the game, and I hope to see that more times than not when conference play begins Jan. 6.

More disappointment as non-conference season winds down

Anthony Ireland had 10 points, all in the first half, for LMU on Wednesday | Julia Pine

LMU dropped its contest to South Dakota last night by a final score of 82-70; a very disappointing game for the Lions who were coming off of a 3-1 stretch in which the team's only loss came to a very strong Florida State team. The Lions lost to a South Dakota team they beat less than ten days ago, despite receiving a poor game form leading scorer Drew Viney.

Tonight's game started off much like the last one against the Coyotes did, with Viney struggling to find his shot and the Lions offense coming almost entirely from guards Vernon Teel and Anthony Ireland, both of whom finished the first half with ten points each. Unfortunately, neither could find the basket much at all in the second half, as Ireland failed to score a point and Teel contributed only four. Teel did finish the game with another double-double, putting in 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lions offense in the second half came almost exclusively from Viney, who finally found his shot after a couple of off games. Viney finished the night 7-16 from the floor with 16 points and seven rebounds. Fifteen of Viney's 16 points were scored in the second half.

Larry Davis rounded out the Lions' in double figures with 12 points of his own.

The problem for LMU, once again, was their defensive intensity in the second half. After holding the Coyotes to just 33 percent shooting in the first half of play the Lions then got lit up in the second half, letting South Dakota shoot 53 percent from the field and 50 percent from three point range.

The Lions, who led by as many as eight points late in the first half, again watched a lead disappear into a loss.

At this point, LMU's ability to adjust during a game needs to be examined. There have been too many games lost that were seemingly winnable at halftime, and it just seems like the other teams are making better adjustments. Whether this is something that should be looked at by the coaching staff, players, or in my opinion both, doesn't really matter, the thing is it needs to addressed quickly.

LMU is now 6-7 on the season, and will have one final chance to enter conference play with a .500 record when they travel to take on UC Irvine on Dec. 30.

Lions hope to sweep season series against South Dakota

Vernon Teel plays tight defense Saturday night against Florida State | Julia Pine

The Lions head out on the road tomorrow to take on a South Dakota team they beat 72-67 in Gersten Pavilion just two weeks ago. LMU is coming off of a double-digit loss to Florida State, but I expect them to be able to handle the Coyotes again.

In the last matchup between the two teams, the Lions received massive games from guards Anthony Ireland and Vernon Teel, while surviving off nights from both Drew Viney and Larry Davis. I wouldn't expect those two to be held down again, so if Ireland and Teel can contribute even half the points they did last time the Lions should be able to pull out the win.

Since playing the Lions, South Dakota have however gone 2-0, beating Tabor College and Eastern Washington.

LMU played well also though in its lone game since facing the Coyotes, hanging tight with a tough Florida State team into the final minutes of the game. Saturday night also saw the return of Edgar Garibay, who despite playing limited minutes looked pretty good on the court and showed off his long range on a sweet 18-foot jumper. Garibay is going to be an important piece of the puzzle for the Lions, especially while Ashley Hamilton is out. The Seminoles beat up LMU's interior defense pretty bad Saturday night, so look for that to be something the team works on before conference play begins.

Tomorrow's game begins at 5 p.m.

Lions to face Florida State Seminoles in Gersten Pavilion showdown

The LMU men's basketball team will face its biggest test of the non-conference schedule tomorrow when they host Florida State at 8 p.m. The Lions (6-5) and Seminoes (8-2) both enter the game riding three-game winning streaks.

The Seminoles only two losses come from the hands of reputable opponents Ohio State and Florida. They are led by junior forward Chris Singleton, who is leading the team with 14.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Junior guard Deividas Dulkys is second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.8 per game while shooting an impressive 45.8 percent from beyond the arc.

In injury news, redshirt freshman center Edgar Garibay is questionable for tomorrow's game, while Ashley Hamilton recently had surgery on his broken hand and is expected to be out another 4-6 weeks.


The game, which can be seen live on ESPNU, wraps up a four-game home stand for the Lions, in which they have so far gone 3-0.

Streaking Lions set to face biggest test

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to post after Saturday night's 72-67 win over South Dakota, but there were a few key things I still want to touch on. The win brought the Lions to 6-5 on the season, as they are now set to face Florida State on Saturday to wrap up this homestand. Florida State is easily the toughest competition on the Lions non-conference schedule this season.

Saturday night against South Dakota the Lions received excellent guard play from senior Vernon Teel and freshman Anthony Ireland. Ireland had a career-high 21 points to lead the Lions in scoring with Teel following closely behind with 20, accounting for more than 50 percent of LMU's offense. In addition, Ireland had seven rebounds and eight assists while Teel just narrowly missed recording LMU's first ever triple-double, finishing the game with the 20 points, along with 13 rebounds and eight assists.

The Lions had 22 assists in the game, and 29 buckets. The last three games LMU has been sharing the ball really well, something that is going to be vital if they want to continue this run.

Not only is it great to see the two starting guards play so well, but it also came on a night when leading scorer Drew Viney shot only 5-15 from the field with ten points. For the second time this season (the first being the OT win at Long Beach State) the Lions were able to overcome a rough shooting night from Viney and still secure the victory. It was also nice to see Viney come through with two big buckets down the stretch, even though he was having a tough game on the offensive end.

One thing though, that is still plaguing the Lions, is poor free throw shooting. In Saturday's game LMU shot only 52.4 percent from the free throw line, and while that might not hurt so much against South Dakota, it would definitely limit the Lions' chances against a tough Florida State team.

The Lions were without Ashley Hamilton (broken hand) for the first time since his injury, and his absence was definitely felt. Center Godwin Okonji had a nice game, but fouled out with about three minutes to go in the second half. It would have been nice to have Hamilton around, but he will be out at least another four weeks.

One thing that should ease the pain a little is the expected return of Edgar Garibay on Saturday night. His size should definitely be an added bonus for LMU against FSU.

Lions look to push streak to three

Vernon Teel | Courtesy of Facebook

The Lions, who are 3-1 at home this season, will continue their home stand tomorrow with a 7 p.m. game against South Dakota (3-6). LMU is coming off of two straight wins, and have held opponents to under 50 points per game during that period.

South Dakota comes into Gersten Pavilion coming off of a 73-69 loss to Canisius on Tuesday. The Coyotes are averaging just under 70 points per game, and have been out-rebounded and out-shot on the season. They are led by starter Charlie Westbrook, who is averaging a team high 15.3 points per game. Westbrook is shooting over 42 percent from three-point range on the season, something the Lions will have to try and keep in check.

The Lions will look to continue to build their momentum before facing their toughest competition of the non-conference schedule next Saturday, as the team faces Florida State.

X-Rays not good for Hamilton

Ashley Hamilton | Courtesy of Facebook

It seems like the bad injury news keep coming for the Lions, as center Ashley Hamilton's right hand is broken. The injury occured in the first minute of the second half of last night's win over Sacramento State. Hamilton is expected to be out 4-6 weeks.

If I were Max Good, I would stick with the hot players this Saturday against South Dakota, and continue to start three guards (Anthony Ireland, Vernon Teel and Larry Davis), therefore moving Drew Viney over to the power forward position to replace the injured Hamilton. Viney has been playing the small forward spot for the most part this season, but has plenty of minuted logged in the four spot as a Lion.

Saturday's game is at Gersten Pavilion, and tips off at 7:30 p.m.

Lions earn back-to-back victories for first time this year

Larry Davis made his third straight start for LMU | Courtesy of Facebook

The LMU men's basketball team is enjoying being home, as a 69-49 victory over Sacramento State gives the Lions a 2-0 start to this four-game home stand. The Lions welcomed back Drew Viney, who had missed two games due to a calf injury, and despite coming off the bench played 30 minutes and led the game with 15 points.

LMU has been working hard at practice on defense this week, according to Head Coach Max Good's most recent quote in the team's press release, and it showed, as the Lions held the Hornets to just 49 points and 29 percent shooting. LMU also had an astonishing 11 blocks in the game, including six from freshman Godwin Okonji who also contributed a career-high 11 points and five rebounds.

Senior guard Larry Davis, who has found his game since being inserted into the starting lineup three games ago, continued his hot shooting and scored 13 points. Vernon Teel also had 13 points.

Offensively, the Lions seemed to have found some sort of rhythm, as the team had 21 assists on 23 field goals tonight. Teel and freshman Anthony Ireland led the way with six dimes each.

The Hornets led by three points two minutes into the game, and the Lions dominated the rest of the way to bring their record to an even 5-5 on the season.

The only bad news for the Lions seems to have come in another injury, although it is unsure yet how serious it may be. Center Ashley Hamilton hurt his wrist in the first minute of the second half and didn't return. He left the court at the conclusion of the game with his wrist wrapped, and will receive an MRI tomorrow.

Up next, the Lions will take on South Dakota on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Home stand continues tomorrow against Sac State

Larry Davis has started two straight games for the Lions | Courtesy of Facebook

The Lions (4-5) will look to build upon their win over Cal Poly tomorrow when they host Sacramento State (2-5) at 7:30 p.m. The Hornets are coming off of back-to-back losses to Washington State and Utah Valley.

The Hornets have been led by Sultan Toles-Bey, who is leading the team by averaging 12.7 points per game. No one on the Hornets roster is averaging more than 5.7 rebounds per game, while three different Lions are averaging more than six.

The Lions have been paced by forward Drew Viney, who is scoring 16.1 points a game, but has missed the last two contests due to a deep bone bruise in his calf. It is unclear whether or not he will play tomorrow. 

The Lions will also be without center Edgar Garibay and guard Jarred DuBois.

The game is the second of a doubleheader, the first being the women's match-up against Cal State Fullerton. The men will then play again on Saturday as they host South Dakota.

LMU handles Cal Poly in second match-up of season

Anthony Ireland had 14 points in the win | Courtesy of Facebook

After a disappointing loss to Cal Poly (3-4) two weeks ago, the Lions responded tonight with a 67-48 win Saturday night in Gersten. The game was the start of a four-game homestand for LMU, which continues Tuesday night when the Lions (4-5) take on Sacramento State.

Playing without four scholarship players (and three starters), LMU received a very balanced scoring effort, as four Lions reached double figures in points. Guards Vernon Teel and Anthony Ireland led the way, each contributing 14 points. Center Ashley Hamilton put in 12 points while LaRon Armstead came off the bench to contribute a season-high 11.

The most impressive stat of the night for the Lions, who never trailed in the game, was a season-low six turnovers.

The Lions were without leading scorer and rebounder Drew Viney, who is recovering from a calf injury. In Viney's absence three Lions (Hamilton, Teel and freshman Godwin Okonji) pulled in eight rebounds. Okonji also added eight points, while Teel dished out a game-high five assists.

Keys to today's game

Ashley Hamilton is a key to tonight's game | Courtesy of Facebook

I was going to start this post by writing, "Tonight's game is really important for the Lions," but let's be honest, because of the hole they've dug themselves into early this season all of their games right now are important.

The Lions have lost a chance at an at-large bid, so conference play is going to be of the utmost importance to LMU. However, if the Lions want to make a solid push for the WCC crown, then they have to start playing like a team who can challenge Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, or even Portland.

Beating up on opponents like tonight's Cal Poly is part of that. Two weeks ago at Cal Poly, the Lions offense was non-existent. That can't happen tonight, and with the team playing back at Gersten with chip on their shoulder after losing to this sub-par team already this season, I don't expect it to.

However, it seems unlikely that Drew Viney will play tonight (and likely that he will play Tuesday, which is good news for LMU), and therefore the offense needs to come from somewhere else.

Vernon Teel is a lock for about 15 points, but without Viney in the lineup other people have to step up, much like Larry Davis did in the team's loss to Santa Barbara on Wednesday. I'm hoping that game was a turning point for Davis, and that he can now be a reliable scorer who plays valuable minutes for LMU. But the other person who's really going to need to step up tonight is Ashley Hamilton. With Viney out, Hamilton needs to take it upon himself to be the Lions inside presence on the offensive end of the court, and to do that, he needs to make sure to stay out of foul trouble. He's capable of scoring 20+ points against a Cal Poly team which doesn't start anyone over 6'8", and I want to see it happen.

With home games tonight, and then again just three days later, let's hope the Lions can start building some momentum before beginning conference play in just one month.

Go Lions.

Lions finally return home, get rematch against Cal Poly

The Lions wrapped up a six-game road trip Wednesday and will now return home for a four-game home stand that begins tomorrow against Cal Poly. LMU went 2-4 on its road trip, including a disappointing 55-48 loss to Cal Poly on Nov 24.

Since playing the Lions, the Mustangs have gone 1-1, with a four-point loss to Sacramento State and a buzzer-beating victory over Hawaii. Cal Poly is now 3-3 on the season.

The Lions, who were missing four scholarship players in their last game, will be without Jarred Dubois, who is out for the season. Edgar Garibay, who is recovering from last season's surgery, has been bothered by a sore knee and will likely miss the next three games. Lions' leading scorer Drew Viney has been dealing with a deep bone bruise in his calf, and is questionable for tomorrow's contest.

The game tips off at 7 p.m.

Jarred DuBois out for year with ankle injury

As hinted upon yesterday, junior guard Jarred DuBois is going to miss the remainder of this season due to an ankle injury he has battled for quite some time. DuBois, despite struggling from the field, was averaging 10.2 points per game this season. He had missed the Lions last two games.

DuBois is expected to be granted a medical redshirt, meaning he will have two years of eligibility left after this season. With both Vernon Teel and Larry Davis leaving after this year, this injury to DuBois may actually help the program in the long run, as the Lions can have the talented duo of Anthony Ireland and Jarred DuBois make up the team's back-court for the next two seasons.

Fans short leash on Vernon seems uncalled for

Vernon Teel | Courtesy of Facebook

I feel compelled to address something I keep reading on the message boards, and that is the fans cries for Vernon Teel to be benched.

I don't know why it is, but I think Lions fan have too short a leash for Vernon. I've watched almost every game the last three years, and I wonder if these fans and I are seeing the same thing.

Yes, this year we have not seen the Vernon we did last year. His shooting percentage has dropped by 10 percent, his assists per game are way down, and so are his points per game. But, who on the Lions team has seen their stats go up or even stay the same this season? The answer is no one, and that is why the team is 1-5 against Division-I opponents.

It's frustrating, but Vernon is definitely having turnover problems this season, something we also saw two years ago. But, if the team is playing well as a whole, then these turnovers don't happen to the extent they are now. The Lions offense is out of sync, and therefore, the turnovers for the point guard start to pile up, as they don't have anywhere to go with the ball or feel more compelled to make something happen. Anthony Ireland has taken over the role of point guard for the most part, and his turnovers are starting to pile up as well.

There is no doubt in my mind that Drew Viney is the most talented player on the Lions, and many other fans feel that way. But because of that, I think the Vernon-bashing comes through even louder. Drew had an awful game against Long Beach State, and there was barely a peep about it on the message boards afterward. I was there, and hands down we would not have won the game without Vernon, and especially without his clutch free-throw shooting (who would have every thought we'd say that).

On the flip side, after Vernon's awful Morgan State game, and after nine turnovers last night, the message boards are calling for him to be benched, some even saying the walk-ons should play before him. It seems absurd. I'm in no way implying that there should have been any negative talk about Drew after Long Beach State, I'm just pointing out what looks to me like an unfair difference.

These season has in no way gone as planned, but beginning to point fingers doesn't help. Vernon and Head Coach Max Good have gotten the majority of the blame on the internet, but the truth is no one on the team is doing their job as well as they did last year. All we can do is hope they can turn it around.

Injury Updates: JD potentially out for year, MRI for Viney

The Lions were without four scholarship players in tonight's game: Drew Viney, Jarred DuBois, Edgar Garibay, and Ayodeji Egbeyemi.

Viney, who injured his calf in the Lions game against Rider over a week ago, will receive an MRI tomorrow.

DuBois, who has now missed two-straight games, will likely be out for the season. I'm hearing his ankle needs surgery. This may, however, not be awful news for the program as a whole, as DuBois would then receive a medical redshirt and get to have an extra year of eligibility after Vernon Teel and Larry Davis leave the program. In my opinion, the Lions should be fine in the guard position this year with Teel, Davis, and Anthony Ireland.

Garibay should return to the court on Dec. 18, when the Lions face Florida State.

And lastly, Deji should come back from his injury within two weeks.

Short-handed Lions can't steal victory in Santa Barbara

Well, I just got back from Santa Barbara, where I watched a short-handed Lions team lose to the Gauchos 77-67. LMU was without leading scorer Drew Viney, Jarred DuBois, Edgar Garibay and Ayodeji Egbeyemi.

If someone had told me before the game that the Lions, without three starters including Drew, would stay within ten points of the Gauchos I probably would have taken it. However, having seen the game, I am again disappointed.

With 9:56 left to play in the game, the Lions found themselves down 53-52. Just four and a half minutes later, LMU was down by 17, after playing an atrocious stretch of basketball. And a bad stretch like that is, unfortunately, something Lions' fans have now seen in most of the team's games this season.

With Drew and JD both out, the Lions needed someone to step up big offensively if they were going to have a chance to win. Well, Larry Davis did that, giving the Lions a career-high 27 points while knocking down 6-7 from three-point range. Considering the Lions got that kind of explosive offensive from a substitute starter and were still unable to pull out the victory against a so-so team is not promising.

The 3-5 Lions will now return home Saturday, will they will get a much-needed rematch against Cal Poly at 7:00pm.

Lions head north, look to build streak

The LMU men's basketball team will look to build upon its overtime victory over Long Beach when they head up the coast of California to Santa Barbara, where they will take on the Gauchos at 7:05 p.m. The Lions (3-4) will face a UC Santa Barbara team led by former-Lion Orlando Johnson, who is currently averaging nearly 25 points per game. The Gauchos are 2-3, and most recently lost to Portland by double-digits.

Junior guard Jarred DuBois, who didn't play in Saturday's contest at Long Beach, is doubtful for tomorrow's game as well. DuBois has battled an ankle injury all year, and it seems it is finally bad enough to keep him out.

The LMU Athletics Department also listed Drew Viney as questionable for tomorrow's game. Viney suffered a calf injury in the Lions' game against Rider, and despite playing in the last two games, is unsure about his status for tomorrow. The loss of Viney would be huge for the Lions, as he is currently their leading scorer, averaging 16 points per contest.

Tomorrow's game caps a six-game road-trip for the Lions, and tips off at 7:05 p.m.

Much needed victory over Long Beach could be start of a turnaround

To say the Lions needed that victory last night would be an understatement. After going 0-4 against Division-I opponents to start the season, and holding a disappointing 2-4 record, LMU pulled out an overtime victory over Long Beach State last night to secure its first impressive win of the season. After the 49ers tied the game with a three in the final seconds of regulation, senior guard Vernon Teel led the Lions to a 78-75 victory in the first overtime period.

Teel had his best game of the season, contributing 20 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Lions. Both junior Drew Viney and redshirt sophomore Ashley Hamilton also had double-doubles, with Viney adding 18 and 12 and Hamilton contributing 13 points and 11 rebounds.


LMU was also helped offensively by Tim Diederichs, who scored 11 points off the bench for the Lions, all coming in the first half.

The Lions did, however, have trouble closing out the game, something that has plagued the team all season long. Leading by 13 points with just over six minutes to go in the game, the Lions allowed the 49ers to go on a 19-6 run to close out regulation, capped by a game-tying three with just five clicks left on the clock.

LMU was helped tremendously by clutch three-point shooting from Teel, who knocked down two free throws with 11 seconds left in regulation as well as two more with seven seconds left in OT. He was 6-7 from the charity stripe in the game.

Viney, who has been the most consistent player for the Lions all season, struggled in the first half, committing three early turnovers and ending the contest with a game-high seven. Also struggling from the field, shooting just 5-14 in the game, Viney came through when the Lions needed him, converting a traditional three-point play on a tough jumper with 41 seconds left in OT to give his team a lead that it never relinquished.

The Lions will now play their sixth and final game of this three-week road trip on Wednesday, when they travel North to face UC Santa Barbara at 7:05 p.m. LMU will face former-Lion Orlando Johnson, who is currently leading the Gauchos in scoring with nearly 25 points per game. The Lions will be looking to even their season record at four.

The Gauchos are 2-3 on the season, and most recently lost to the WCC's Portland, 75-63.

Lions look to turn things around at 49ers

Things have not gone well for LMU men's basketball thus far this season, as the team has faced four Division-I opponents and is yet to pull out a victory. Tomorrow, the Lions (2-4) will try again as they travel north to face Long Beach State, which finds itself 3-2 on the early season.

The 49ers have two losses on the year, both coming against strong teams in San Diego State and Clemson. They have four players averaging double-figures in scoring, with 6'8" junior forward T.J. Robinson leading the pack with 12.8 per game.

The Lions and 49ers faced off at Gersten Pavilion last season, where LMU was able to secure the win in overtime.

The game tips of in Long Beach, CA at 7pm.

Poor shooting leads to second straight loss for Lions

Anthony Ireland got his second start for the Lions | Courtesy of Facebook

The Lions have yet to beat a Division-I opponent this season, falling to Cal Poly by the score of 55-48 tonight on the road and bringing their season record to 2-4. LMU shot just 30 percent from the field and had more turnovers (16) than they did field goals (15).

Cal Poly's lead grew to as much as 16 points in the game before the Lions finally showed some life late in the second half, bringing the score to 47-45. But after a steal by Vernon Teel and a chance to tie the game, a missed layup by Teel sent the Lions unraveling again, and that is the closest the score would get.

Teel was held out of the starting lineup for the second straight game, but did start the second half. Freshman guard Anthony Ireland again started in Teel's place. Teel finished the game with eight points, six rebounds and three assists.

The Lions highest scorer was junior Jarred DuBois, who finished with 12 points on 3-9 shooting. Drew Viney, who had been averaging 17 points per contest, was held to just ten points on 3-11 shooting but did have a team-high seven rebounds.

LMU struggled in most facets of the game, shooting just 20 percent from three-point land, 30 percent in the game, along with getting out-rebounded by a sub-par Cal Poly team 37-35.

The Lions will look to turn things around right after the holiday, as they take on a tough Long Beach State team on Saturday in Long Beach. The game tips off at 7 p.m.

LMU wore a new navy blue road jersey in the game.

Ayodeji Egbeyemi out 2-4 weeks

Ayodeji Egbeyemi will be out 2-4 weeks with an MCL strain, according to word just released by the Athletics Department. Egbeyemi injured himself in the Lions's loss to Rider College.

The freshman Edgeyemi has appeared in all five games for LMU this season, and is averaging 4.4 points per contest. He is also shooting an impressive 57 percent.

Freshman center Godwin Okonji, who injured his shoulder in the same game, will be a game-time decision tomorrow.

The Lions will take on Cal Poly tomorrow, road game four of the team's six straight.

Struggling Lions face Cal Poly tomorrow

The struggling Lions (2-3) take on a struggling Cal Poly (1-2) team tomorrow at 7pm in San Luis Obispo, CA. The Lions are coming off of a ten-point loss to Rider College, while Cal Poly is coming off of two-straight losses to Montana State and Cal State Monterey Bay.

Cal Poly is led by David Hanson, who is averaging 18.3 points per game.

Luckily for the Lions, who have been struggling to guard the three-pointer all season, the Mustangs are shooting just 29.3 percent from beyond the arc this year.

No word yet on whether Vernon Teel, who was held out of the Lions game against Rider due to a coach's decision, will return.

Freshman Ayodeji Egbeyemi, who hurt his ankle on Sunday, is not expected to play.

Lions again fail to defend three, fall to Rider

The Lions fell to 2-3 on the season today after dropping a game to Rider College 73-63. Rider, which is a strong team, improves to 4-1.

Drew Viney led the Lions with 17 points on 7-10 shooting, despite playing limited minutes due to cramping. In addition to Viney's cramping, Ashley Hamilton, Godwin Okonji, and Ayodeji Egbeyemi all suffered injuries in the game. Only Hamilton would return, and contributed 14 points.

The most glaring statistic of the game was Rider's three-point shooting. The team shot 58 percent from behind the arc in the game and knocked down 11 threes.

Defensive issues guarding the three have plagued the Lions all season long, and after the game Head Coach Max Good said in a press release "We are one of the worst teams at defending the three-point shot. If a team is struggling, they should schedule us."

The Lions led by one point at halftime, and even led by as many as eight midway through the first half.

Vernon Teel was benched for the game, a decision made by Good prior to tip-off. In the pre-game interviews on KXLU, Good eluded that this decision had something to do with the fact that "a couple guys were thinking about next year, rather than this year."

The Lions, who are still looking for their first win against a D-I team, will next play at Cal Poly on Wednesday.

Lions vs. Rider first half notes

Score: LMU leads 38-37


The Good

• Lions are shooting 54 percent from the field. Shots look better than they have all year.
• Ashley Hamilton playing extremely well for the second straight game. Really an offensive presence inside. He has 12 first-half points.
• Drew Viney went 5-5 from the field with 11 first-half points.
• Interior defense looks stronger than it has.

The Bad

• It appears Viney is somewhat hurt. The radio said it's his shin, which I believe was an issue last year as well. He started the game 5-5 and then had to sit for most of the end of the half. Lions need him back in this close game.
• Lions still struggling to defend the three. Rider is 7-10 from the beyond the arc. 
• LMU with seven first-half turnovers. Better than the last two games, but still a bit sloppy.

Teel out of starting lineup

Vernon Teel | Courtesy of Facebook

Point guard Vernon Teel will not play in today's game against Rider, according to the KXLU broadcast. This is a coach's decision. Head Coach Max Good said he "didn't want to get into it beyond that."

Freshman Anthony Ireland will get the start.

You can listen to today's game, which tips off in a couple minutes, live here: http://www.live365.com/cgi-bin/mini.cgi?station_name=kxlu1&site=pro&tm=5804

Lions look for first D-I win tomorrow

After a too-close-for-comfort victory today over Dowling, the Lions will be back on the court tomorrow morning to take on Rider. The game tips off at 9am PT.

This morning, LMU edged out a seven-point victory over the D-II Dowling College to bring its record to 2-2 on the young season. The Lions were given a season-high 16 points and seven rebounds from redshirt sophomore Ashley Hamilton who went 4-4 from the field and 8-9 from the charity stripe. Drew Viney, who had led the Lions in scoring in every other game this season, chipped in 15 points and a team-high eight boards.

The Lions were helped out by a Dowling team that went just 9-21 from the free throw line.

Tomorrow, the Lions face what may be their toughest task yet this season, as they will take on a Rider team that that has already beat USC and TCU. The Broncs are riding a three-game winning streak, and currently sit on a 3-1 season record.

Rider is led by senior Justin Robinson, who is averaging over 19 points per game.

The game can be heard live on KXLU 88.9 FM.

Lions feature first starting lineup change of year

LMU faces Dowling College in about five minutes and they will feature a new starting lineup for the first time this season. Freshman Godwin Okonji will start at the center spot in place of redshirt junior Tim Diederichs.

The Lions are 1-2 and looking to bring their record back to an even .500.

The game can be heard live on KXLU 88.9 or seen live for $6 at http://www.maacsports.com/.

Lions to face Dowling College tomorrow morning

The Lions will look to even their record at two tomorrow when they take on Dowling College in Massachusetts at 9am PT. The D-II school is looking for its first win of the season, after losing to American International College by 18 points a week ago.

LMU will be heavily favored in this match up that is part of the 2010 Naismith Memorial Basketball Tip-off Tournament.

The Lions will then take on Rider at the same time on Sunday to wrap up the tournament. Rider is coming off of a recent 20-point victory over USC here in Los Angeles.

Both games can be heard live on KXLU 88.9.

Kevin Young finds new team in San Diego State

Kevin Young | Courtesy of Facebook

As I discussed last April, former LMU forward Kevin Young decided to leave the Lions after last season concluded, without much of an idea of where he would go next. It seems, however, that Young has found himself a nice home, as Sign On San Diego is reporting that he will join San Diego State next season. Young still has two years of eligibility remaining.

San Diego State is coming off of the biggest win in program history after defeating No. 12 Gonzaga in Spokane, Wash. a few days ago.

Young was the only starter from last year's Lions squad not to return this season. While at LMU, Young broke the school record for rebounds, steals and blocks by a freshman.

We'll call this one ... writing therapy

CSome people can't go to bed on an empty stomach. I can't go to bed on a full mind.

I declared earlier this evening on my twitter account that I was too frustrated to write a column after tonight's men's basketball game, but I am retracting that statement. It is because I am so frustrated that I need to write a column tonight. It's easier to forget about things (life, sports, anything really) if you get all your thoughts about it out in the open, so here goes.

First of all, I must say that it is much too early in the season to panic. The Lions have begun the season 1-2, and their two losses have come on a combined four points. They're not exactly being blown out of the water. Furthermore, it's the start of a long season, and anything can happen. For all we know LMU could rattle of a 8-10 game winstreak and we could all breath a sigh of relief.

But that being said, things don't look great. These two losses have come against decent teams, but not great teams. The problem here isn't "if the Lions can't beat them, how are they supposed to beat the Gonzaga's of the world." I firmly believe that each game is a fresh start, and we can still beat Florida State, Gonzaga and Saint Mary's if we play up to our potential.

The problem that these two early losses have given the Lions is that they may have, in just one week of play, blown their shot at an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament (if they are so lucky as to turn things around and become a playoff caliber team).These two losses will do nothing to help LMU's RPI.

But what's worse than the fact that these losses are against unranked teams is the fact that the Lions aren't playing great basketball. If LMU was playing solid basketball, but losing, the losses would be tough, but not unbearable. The Lions record would still be 1-2, but it would be a hopeful 1-2. A 1-2 that shows that this is a team that can beat other D-I teams. Instead, the Lions, right now, look like a mess.

No one on the team seems to have any sort of role or identity on offense. Substitutions have changed each game, and although it's only been three games no one has a good grasp on what type of minutes they'll be playing (except, of course, Drew Viney, who will be playing a lot).

Aside from the fact that the Lions, and Head Coach Max Good, know that they want to get the ball to Viney more, there doesn't seem to be much of a gameplan for many of the other players. Are the Lions looking to feed Ashley Hamilton in the post, or not? With his limited minutes it's really hard to tell what the plan is there.

Do the Lions want to get Jarred DuBois some open looks? He's been able to create an open shot for himself a couple times, but I would think that LMU should have some set plays to get him some open shots early each game, check and see if his shot is falling. DuBois is a player who can go off for 30-points on any given night, and right now it just seems that he's finding a shot once in a blue moon.

How often do the Lions want Vernon Teel to drive to the hoop and try to pick up a foul, and maybe even a conventional three-point play if lucky. It's a strength Teel has, but it seems like it either happens too often at times or not enough at others.

And lastly, what kind of offensive player does Viney want to be? Tonight I saw him take more initiative offensively (namely, take more shots) which is great, but they weren't the best looks I've seen him take. I hope Viney can be vocal with both Good and his teammates after tonight's game and explain why just giving him the ball like they did tonight isn't going to work. As I've stated before, Viney is the center point of this offense, and he's going to need to figure out how to use the other pieces to his benefit.

Other players are going to be important, but these players need to be the key. Right now, the Lions offense looks disjointed, and I look to Good to fix that problem quickly. Practice time is going to be limited the next week or two with all the games and traveling, but there's no more time for weak play.

Lions blow lead, fall to Bradley 59-57

Vernon Teel | Courtesy of Facebook

For the second time in three games the Loyola Marymount men's basketball team blew a sizable second half lead. The Lions led the Bradley Braves by eight points with about seven minutes to play on the road tonight before eventually falling 59-57. LMU allowed the Braves to go on a 11-0 run late in the closing minutes.

With six seconds to play the Lions found themselves down by four, but senior guard Vernon Teel made a tough layup and was fouled, converting the three-point play at the line with 5.1 left on the clock. Down by one, the Braves managed to get the ball inbounds and into the hands of their best free throw shooter, who converted 1-2. With just three seconds left all LMU could do was throw up a prayer, and Drew Viney's bomb from half court hit the backboard but was just too high.

Nobody really stood out for the Lions, who were led offensively by Teel who contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds, but also turned the ball over seven times. Turnovers were the story for the Lions, who as a team turned the ball over an astonishing 24 times.

Viney ended the game with 12 points and 10 rebounds, turning the ball over five times himself.

The loss brings LMU's season record to 1-2. The Braves remain undefeated at 3-0.

The lone bright spot for the Lions was the return of center Edgar Garibay, who played for the first time since injuring himself last winter. He went 0-5 from the field in his return.

Next up for the Lions will be Dowling College. LMU takes on the D-II Dowling at 9AM PT on Saturday morning in Massachusetts.

LMU vs. Bradley live blog second half

Drew Viney with half court attempt at the buzzer, fails. Braves win.

3. 4 seconds remain, Braves to shoot two free throws.

Still in a timeout.

Teel hits the free throw. 58-57 with 5.1 to play, Bradley has the ball.

With 5.1 to play Teel makes a bucket and gets fouled. Two point game.

DuBois gets his layup blocked, and Braves hit a free throw for four point lead

20 seconds left, Lions down by three with the ball

1:47 to play, same score. Teel slipped and they called the travel. Braves ball with a one-point lead.

2:19 to play, Lions with the ball and trail 55-54

Bradley takes the lead with 2:50 to play

Lions have not scored a field goal since 7:19

3:43 to play, Lions lead by one.

4:52 to play, Braves miss two free throws. 

5:30 to play, Braves on a little run. Cut down the lead to two. Lions lead 54-52.

7:18 to play, 53-46 lead for the Lions. Larry Davis knocked down a three, and now Teel at the line trying to complete a three-point play after this media timeout. Offense finally starting to click for LMU.

9:30 to play, Anothony Ireland drains a deep three with two seconds on the shot clock to give Lions a 7 point lead

10:39 to play, Lions on 8-0 run to lead 43-37. 

11:47 to play, we're in a media timeout. Viney leads the Lions with 12 points. Lions lead 41-37. Bradley is shooting just 27 percent

12:18 to play, 20th turnover for the Lions as Viney carries the ball. Lions lead 39-37

14:48 to play, another travel against the Lions (DuBois). Game still tied at 37

LMU having trouble from long range, just 1-7 from three-point land

16:06 to play, Viney with a pretty fadeaway jumper to tie the game at 37

17:00 to play, Bradley leads by one after Dubois jumper is good.

19:34 to play, Diederichs makes one free throw as Lions lead by one to start second half

Same starting lineup for the Lions

LMU vs. Bradley first half recap

• WAY too many turnovers for LMU. Six traveling calls, along with other silly mistakes.

• Nice balanced scoring. Teel leads with nine and Viney has eight. Nobody seems to really have their shot necessarily falling, but hopefully that changes in the second half.

• Lions outrebounding the Braves 26-14, with a game-high seven rebounds from Teel.

Gonzaga's Elias Harris MRI negative

Good news for Gonzaga this evening, as sophomore star Elias Harris' MRI was negative, and he is now only expected to miss about a week of action, according to Jeff Goodman of Fox.

Harris feared the worst last night, when late in the Zags game against San Diego State he heard a "pop," and thought he had tore his Achilles.

LMU vs. Bradley live game blog first half

6:25pm - Lions look to score on last possession but turn it over again on a 3-second violation. 1st half ends tied at 32.

6:21pm - 12th turnover for the Lions as Larry Davis travels. LMU leads 31-29 just about a minute left in the half.

6:17pm - Lions retake lead at 29-27 after Teel makes two free throws

6:13pm - Just under four minutes to play, Teel hits a three to tie the game

6:12pm - ANOTHER travel. Against Viney again. 9 turnovers. 

6:10pm - 5:31 to play and the Lions are in the bonus. 

6:08pm - Viney travels, third travel against the Lions. 8 turnovers for LMU total.

6:05pm - 6:56 left to play in the first half, Bradley leads 21-19. Teel with a turnover right before current timeout.

6:01pm - 9 minutes left in the half, game tied at 16

5:58pm - Garibay makes 1-2 free throws for his first point of the season. Lions lead 16-11

5:53pm - Lions lead 15-11 after another bucket by Okonji

5:51pm - Edgar Garibay checking in for the first time this season. Larry Davis also enters the game.

5:48pm - Godwin Okonji with a rebound and bucket. He's been a beast on the boards.

5:44pm - 7-7 score with 15:31 to play in the first half. Lions really looking to push the tempo.

5:40pm - Bradley with early 3-2 lead ...

5:34pm - Starting lineup for the Lions is no different: Vernon Teel, Jarred DuBois, Drew Viney, Ashley Hamilton, Tim Diederichs

5:32pm - Listening to pre-game broadcast on KXLU, and Head Coach Max Good says the team needs to "concentrate on guarding the three." That's going to be key tonight, and the rest of the season.

5:25pm - Lions enter the game with a 1-1 record and the Braves enter 2-0

5:20pm - Lions game set to tip-off in about 15 minutes

Gonzaga holds breath as MRI scheduled for Harris

WCC powerhouse No. 12 Gonzaga is not having a good 24 hours, as after losing a tough game to San Diego State last night the team has announced that sophomore superstar Elias Harris may have popped his Achilles in the loss, according to Jeff Goodman of Fox. An MRI has been scheduled.

Losing Harris would be a huge blow to the Bulldogs. Harris is ranked as the third best sophomore in NCAA Division-I basketball, and is expected to be selected in the first round of next year's NBA Draft if he chooses to declare.

Harris scored just five points in yesterday's loss.

Update : Bradley Preview

Bradley will enter tomorrow's game against LMU with a 2-0 season record after holding off Northern Illinois tonight 66-63. The Braves got the bulk of their offense from guard Andrew Warren, who scored 24 points on 9-19 shooting.

The Lions will try to hand Bradley its first loss tomorrow at 5:30pm PT.

First road trip of the year begins tomorrow

The Lions will kick off a six-game road trip tomorrow when they take on Bradley at 5:30pm PT. The Lions (1-1) are coming off of a tough loss to Morgan State in their home opener and a beat down of D-III La Sierra on Sunday.

Bradley is 1-0 thus far on the year, beating Texas A&M - Kingsville in their regular season opener. Bradley will, however, face Northern Illinois tonight before facing LMU tomorrow.

In its one win, Bradley was led by freshman guard Walt Lemon, who came off the bench to score a game-high 16 points. Three other Braves reached double figures in scoring.

Through their first two games the Lions have been led by redshirt junior forward Drew Viney, who has been LMU's highest scorer in both contests. Viney is averaging 20.5 points and seven rebounds per game.

The away game can be heard live on KXLU 88.9.

Lions top century mark in 100-62 win over La Sierra

Drew Viney | Courtesy of Facebook

After an embarrassing loss Saturday, the Lions showed up this afternoon looking to make some kind of a statement against Division-III foe La Sierra. They did just that, finishing the game with 100 points and nearly a 40-point advantage.

Redshirt junior Drew Viney again led LMU in scoring, contributing 14 points in just 19 minutes of action. Ashley Hamilton, Larry Davis and Ayodeji Egbeyemi joined Viney in double digit scoring.

All 15 roster players entered the game for LMU.

One problem that still plagues the Lions, however, is guarding the three-pointer, as they allowed seven threes to the Golden Eagles, while only going 3-15 from beyond the arc themselves.

Still looking to avenge Friday's loss, LMU will play its first road game of the season on Wednesday, when they take on Bradley at 5:30pm. The game can be heard on KXLU 88.9.

Lions to face La Sierra today

Coming off of a rough two-point loss to Morgan State, the Lions will take the court again today at 3pm to face Division III La Sierra. The Golden Eagles are coming off of a five-point loss to Hope International University three days ago.

Expect to see mostly the same lineup out there for LMU today as there was Saturday night, with some of the starters possibly playing fewer minutes if the Lions are able to get the big lead that is expected of them.

One thing to watch for would be playing time in the center spot, as you may see freshman Godwin Okonji in the starting rotation as opposed to redshirt junior Tim Diederichs.

Edgar Garibay to return for game against Bradley

Center Edgar Garibay will see his first action of the season on Wednesday, when the Lions take on Bradley, according to a posting on his Facebook account. Garibay is recovering from a season-ending injury that took place last year, and did not play in yesterday's game against Morgan State. The Lions play La Sierra tomorrow before traveling to Bradley.

The midnight rule is hard to follow

Courtesy of Facebook

LMU men's basketball Head Coach Max Good has a rule for his team: If you lose a tough game you can dwell on it until midnight, then you have to let it go. In theory, it's great. But after a game like last night's 81-79 loss to Morgan State, I'm having a really hard time abiding by Good's law.

For those who weren't there to witness the heartbreak, with about seven minutes left in the game LMU held a ten point advantage over the Bears, who hadn't led since the first basket of the contest. But the last seven minutes of last night's game are one's the Lions wish they had back, and in the end the Bears took a lead with 2:01 left and LMU never fought back.

I'll try to keep this ugly part short, as I have as little interest as anyone in reliving it. But in the last four minute's of last night's game the Lions self-imploded. Drew Viney, who played a great game, had one turnover and one missed free throw. Jarred DuBois had a turnover. And Vernon Teel, who in the first half of the game looked like the best player on the court, had three turnovers, a missed layup that would have given the Lions a one-point lead with 11 seconds to play, and displayed poor decision making in the final seconds as the team was looking for a last second bucket to send the game into overtime.

And while it would be extremely easy to point the finger at Teel for last night's loss, the truth is the Lions never should have been in that position, as they took leads as large as 14 points multiple times in the game. LMU had trouble closing out games last year, and unfortunately it seems like they have that problem again this season. The Lions need a change in attitude, and when they find themselves up by 14 points they need to want to extend that to 20.

Aside from the outcome, last night's game did show a lot of the promise fans were expecting this season. It is clear that this year's freshman are going to impact this program for the next four years, and they had a great showing in their first collegiate game.

Anthony Ireland knocked down the first shot of his Lions career (a deep three), and finished the game with five points and three rebounds. He showed impressive speed and ball-handling skills, and Lion fans should be comfortable knowing that he is the team's point guard of the future.

Center Godwin Okanji, who wasn't even expected to play yesterday after missing the week of practice, was a beast on the boards, and pulled in eight rebounds in only 27 minutes. He also contributed seven points. In addition, he may have moved himself ahead of Tim Diederichs on the depth chart.

Redshirt junior Viney was the player we all know and love, contributing 27 points, six rebounds and five assists.

And Teel, before having a rough rough ending to the game, looked great. Finishing the game with 15 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals, Teel looked even better in the first half then he did last year when he made the WCC All-Conference team. It's evident he got quicker, which led to three easy steals and fast break opportunities. Having interviewed him after games for the past two seasons, I can assure any fan out there that nobody feels worse after last night's loss then Teel himself.

But while I would love to stick with the positives and gloss over the negatives, what it comes down to is that last night's loss hurt the Lions in many ways. Firstly, Morgan State was one of the biggest non-conference opponents on LMU's schedule, and that loss does not help the Lions chances if they are in need of an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament at the end of the season. Secondly, it doesn't help the team build it's fan base. There were close to 3,000 people in Gersten last night, and I fear a bad loss like that may deter students from showing up to see the team face La Sierra tomorrow.

To make matters worse, tomorrow's game isn't even against a D-I opponent, so while the team will still have a chance to bring its record to an even 1-1, a win wouldn't do anything to help the sting of last night.

And with all of that said, I will now (about 12 hours too late) try my hardest to follow Max Good's midnight rule. I will shut the door on Morgan State, and turn my attention to the fact that we still have an entire season of basketball in front of us.

Lions vs. Morgan State tomorrow

The LMU men's basketball season gets underway in 22 hours as the Lions get set to face Morgan State in Gersten Pavilion.

Morgan State is coming off of a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title last season, after losing only one game in conference play. They did, however, lose their top scorer to graduation, and were handled easily by West Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Lions, on the other hand, return their top three scorers from a season ago.

Returning to the Bears is Dewayne Jackson and Kevin Thompson, the team's second and third leading scorers from last season who averaged a combined 22.8 points and 16 rebounds per game one year ago.

Tomorrow's game tips off at 7pm.

Edgar Garibay out for regular season opener

Courtesy of Facebook

Center Edgar Garibay will not play in tomorrow's game against Morgan State, according to Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports. Garibay missed the majority of last season after tearing his ACL, and Head Coach Max Good and the Lions do not want to rush him back.

His planned absence from tomorrow's game is not a surprise, although some felt Garibay might see limited minutes to test out his leg. No word yet on whether Garibay will see any action against La Sierra on Sunday.

The Lions take on Morgan State in their regular season opener tomorrow at 7pm in Gersten Pavilion.


Update: Freshman center Godwin Okonji is also not expected to play, as he is battling a groin strain, according to lmulions.com. This will leave the Lions somewhat short at the five spot.

Recruit signs National Letter of Intent to join Lions

Courtesy of Twitter

Bruce English has signed a National Letter of Intent to become a Lion next fall, according to Loyola Marymount University's athletics web site. English had verbally committed to LMU a few weeks ago.

The 6'1" guard joins the Lions from Lutheran, in La Verne, Calif.

"Bruce is one of the most athletic players in the west and he never stops working," said Good on the LMU Athletics web site. "He is very explosive and despite being 6-1, he can finish against most post players. He uses his strength well and we really love the fact that he is fearless and his motor never stops. With those traits, he will fit well into what we are trying to do."

English is the first player to commit to LMU for the 2011-12 school year.

Exhibition Game - Player Analysis

As described in my previous post, last night's exhibition game against Chapman was not the Lions' finest. However, LMU has some phenomenal players on its team, and there were some silver linings in yesterday's win. Here's what I saw from some of the key players:

Drew Viney - Viney showed why he could be this year's West Coast Conference Player of the Year, contributing a team-high 24 points and nine rebounds. He showed his ability to create offense, finding a shot even against tough defense, and put his long-range shot ability on display by knocking down two three-pointers. As I've said before, Viney is going to be the center point of the Lions offense this season.

Vernon Teel - Teel only played the first half of yesterday's game, and seemed to slightly injure his hip at one point. He played a decent game, and his ability to lead a fastbreak and score points around the bucket did not go unnoticed. Teel had a pretty obvious mental lapse at the conclusion of the first half, missing a dunk when an easy lay-in would have been called for, but to be honest I'm glad to see that happen to him in an exhibition game because I would bet a lot he doesn't let it happen again this season.


Jarred DuBois - DuBois' shot was off last night, but that's going to happen on any given night to any great shooter. DuBois' presence was still felt on offense though, as he dished out a team-high seven assists. It is also not to go unnoticed that DuBois and Viney seem to be the only Lions who can consistently knock down free throws.

Ashley Hamilton takes a shot in Saturday's game against Chapman

Ashley Hamilton - Hamilton had a great game. He is one of the team's most reliable rebounders, and looked strong on offense around the hoop. His ten points on just 4-6 from the field is something that Lions fans should get used to seeing.


Deji Egbeyemi - Played really well for a freshman. He's extremely athletic and will be an asset to the Lions on the boards.


Anthony Ireland - Ireland is a true point guard, something the Lions haven't had for awhile, and he's going to be a big part of the program for the next four years. He seems to have already established himself as Head Coach Max Good's first player off the bench, and it may be because of his ball-handling skills. Ireland had seven assists and showed off a nice long-range three.

Tim Diederichs - Diederichs went 4-4 from the field, something that was great to see after he had some trouble completing the play around the bucket last season. It looks like he's going to get the starting spot until the injured Edgar Garibay returns, so if he can play solid defense and score some easy buckets around the hoop the Lions will be in good shape.

Lions basketball is back, but there is still work to be done

It was GREAT to see LMU Basketball back in action last night as the Lions took on Chapman in an exhibition game in Gersten Pavilion. Firstly, I want to give a huge shoutout to the student section. There were more people there for the exhibition game yesterday than for many games early last season, and that is a fabulous sign. If Gersten can continue to fill up all season long then the Lions can truly have a homecourt advantage on the bluff.

The 83-71 win, however, was not the Lions best. It's the start of the season, and obviously there is rust to be worked off, but a few key things concerned me.

1) The D-III Chapman exploited two of LMU's weaknesses; perimeter defense and free throw shooting. Every team is going to have a weakness or two, but the part that really concerns me is the fact that these were the same weaknesses the Lions had last season. It was disappointing to see that they still exist. Obviously, one exhibition game is not a great sample size, but if Chapman can shoot 50 percent (7-14) from three against our defense then the Portland Pilots and Saint Mary's Gaels are going to shoot LMU off the court. Definitely something the team needs to figure out quickly.

Furthermore, the Lions struggled (again) from the charity stripe, knocking down less than 70 percent of their free throws.

2) Last year one of the Lions major problems was playing down to their opponents. LMU played high quality basketball against Gonzaga, Notre Dame, and other powerhouse teams, but then looked sloppy against some weaker teams like University of San Francisco and Pepperdine. They can't let that happen this season, and just a 12-point victory against Chapman hints at that again.

Now in all fairness, Chapman is a quality D-III team. But if LMU is going to put together the season I know they can, then they have to play better basketball then they did last night.

Exhibition Game Against Chapman Tomorrow

Fans have been waiting, and the time has finally come. At 7pm tomorrow night the Lions will host Chapman University in what will be the team's one and only exhibition game. While the result won't affect LMU's record, it will be a great opportunity to see the team in competitive action for the first time this season.

Things to watch for:

1)The Lions should gel as a team much better than last season. The majority of the Lions traveled to Spain this season on what in the end turned about to be an incredible bonding experience. I look for those strengthened relationships off the court to improve communication and timing on the court as well.

In addition, the core group of Lions are back for their second season together. Junior Drew Viney and senior Vernon Teel are the team's leaders, and it is going to be important for them to continue to get a better feeling of each other on the court, especially after a year playing together under their belts.

2) This will be a great opportunity for some of the key freshmen to play in front of a crowd in Gersten and get any college basketball jitters out of their systems. Furthermore, it's a great chance for LMU students to see new faces on the court, and become fans before the regular season officially gets under way.

3) Lastly, it will be an opportunity for Head Coach Max Good and his coaching staff to work out any kinks in their rotation and for the players to get an inkling of what their position and playing time will be like this season.

I hope to see a crowded Gersten tomorrow night.

Lions vs. Chapman - Countdown Begins

The Lions will take the court Saturday for their one and only exhibition game in five days as they will take on Chapman in Gersten Pavilion.

Unfortunately for LMU, the injury bug that bit hard last year hasn't completely died. Center Edgar Garibay, who tore his ACL last winter and was granted a medical redshirt, is still not 100%, and from what I am hearing probably won't see game action until at least December.

Therefore, Head Coach Max Good has some decisions to make on his starting lineup until that point, as I assume Garibay will reclaim the starting center spot upon his return.

The quick fix for Good would be to replace Garibay with junior Tim Diederichs, who did an adequate job for the Lions last season and had an explosive game against Saint Mary's in the final regular season game of the year.

I would, however, like to see Good take a little bit more of a risk. Diederichs is a tough player, but often fails to complete the play around the basket, causing the Lions to miss layups and easy opportunities.

The Lions have a chance to beat their opponents in many ways this season, and one of those is by pushing the ball and playing more of a speed game. Therefore, I'd like to see Good move sophomore Ashley Hamilton to the center spot until Garibay is healthy enough to return, and in turn slide junior Drew Viney over to the 4. Then, he can either move LaRon Armstead into the starting lineup for awhile, which I would love to see after his impressive showing at the Crimson/Navy scrimmage, or start three guards (Vernon Teel, Jarred DuBois, and Larry Davis), a lineup that Good actually put on the floor multiple times last season.

Either way, Good has the best of problems, as the team's depth is impressive entering the season.

Ideal (Healthy) Lineup 2010-11                            "Until Then" Lineup
PG - Vernon Teel                                                    PG - Vernon Teel
SG - Jarred DuBois                                                SG - Jarred DuBois
SF - Drew Viney                                                    SF - LaRon Armstead/Larry Davis
PF - Ashley Hamilton                                            PF - Drew Viney
C - Edgar Garibay                                                  C  - Ashley Hamilton

Closed door scrimmage today

The Lions will scrimmage Washington today in a closed door scrimmage. Just last week I critiqued the Lions non-conference schedule, worrying that there wasn't enough competition to really test the team before WCC play begins. This scrimmage will help.

Washington comes in having been picked to win the Pac-10 this season, and finished in the top-25 last year. Regardless of how the scrimmage today turns out, this will be a great opportunity for the Lions to see how they match-up against a strong team. If any problem areas emerge, Head Coach Max Good and his staff will have some idea of what needs to be worked on in the next two weeks.

Some surprises in pre-season picks

As announced earlier today, the West Coast Conference (WCC) released its 2010-11 Men's Basketball Coaches Poll. Here are the results:

2010-11 WCC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
Team - (First Place Votes) - Points
1. Gonzaga (6) - 48
2. Loyola Marymount (1) - 42
3. Saint Mary's (1) - 39
4. Santa Clara - 28
5. Portland - 25
6. San Francisco - 18
7. Pepperdine - 14
8. San Diego - 10
(* - Coaches could not vote for their own team)

It is really no surprise that Gonzaga got six of the eight first place votes, as the Bulldogs have won 10 straight WCC regular season championships.  What was pleasantly surprising, however, was the fact that the Lions received more points than the Saint Mary's Gaels, who are coming off of their first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance as well as a WCC Tournament Championship.

The biggest factor in these votes has got to be the fact that the Gaels will be without center Omar Samhan, who graduated last May after being one of the top players in the WCC for a number of years. I would argue Samhan got snubbed last season, and deserved to win WCC Player of the Year.


While I agree that the Lions can challenge Gonzaga at the top of the WCC, my surprise in the votes comes from the fact that WCC coaches were already ready to acknowledge the growth the Lions have made, before the season has even begun.


Another surprise was that coaches predicted Santa Clara to be a stronger team than Portland. Two seasons ago the Pilots emerged as a surprise powerhouse in the WCC, and finished last season in third place with a 10-4 conference record. Returning the majority of its team, I don't see Portland dropping below the Broncos this season, despite the fact that Santa Clara had one of the strongest recruiting classes in the league.


Lastly, it is not surprising to see San Francisco drop down to sixth, after finishing last season tied with the Lions at a 7-7 record and taking the 4th place spot due to their head-to-head record against LMU. The Dons, much like the Gaels, lost their best player to graduation, and will feel the impact of losing one of the conference's best big men (Dior Lowhorn).

The Lions and Gaels each received one first place vote. My gut tells me that the Lions received their's from Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few, who saw first hand last season how tough LMU can be when he and the Bulldogs lost in Gersten Pavilion to the less experienced Lions team. Now I don't think Few underestimates Saint Mary's, I just think he also knew first hand how important Samhan was to that squad. It should be noted, however, that Few was not allowed to vote for his own team.


The other lone first place vote, however, will remain a mystery.