Video Interview with future Lion Bruce English

A video interview with future Lion Bruce English. He seems very well-spoken and excited to join the Lions next season. Great to see.

LMU's BracketBuster game revealed

The Lions will face Portland State in their BracketBuster game on Feb. 19 in Portland, it was announced today. Noted on the schedule at the beginning of the season, LMU was selected to participate in this year's BracketBuster event. The ninth annual three-day men’s college basketball event provides an opportunity for NCAA Tournament hopefuls to face each other. It was also announced that LMU's game will not be one of the 11 televised on the ESPN family of networks.


Portland State currently sits at an 11-10 overall record and a 4-5 conference record. They are, however, an impressive 8-3 at home. The team is 1-1 against the WCC, having beaten Pepperdine early in the season before falling to Portland.


Saint Mary's is the only other team participating in the BracketBuster event, as they will host Utah State on ESPN2 on the 19th.

Lions face Broncos in homecoming game tonight

The Lions, who have dropped four straight, will take on a hot Santa Clara team tonight in LMU's homecoming game. The Broncos come into Gersten pavilion having won three straight conference decisions. The game tips off at 5 p.m.

After beginning WCC play with a loss to San Francisco, the Broncos have gone 4-1, beating Portland and Gonzaga at home last weekend in one of the team's biggest weekends in recent years. They are led by WCC Player of the Year candidate Kevin Foster, who is averaging 18.8 points per game. He also put up 36 points in the team's win over Santa Clara.

The Lions, on the other hand, have been struggling. After holding a 17-point lead on Thursday at home against San Francisco, LMU eventually lost by one. Both Larry Davis and Vernon Teel were battling the flu, with Teel playing 12 fewer minutes than he averages and going just 2-3 from the floor. Davis didn't play. The Lions were also without leading scorer Drew Viney in the second half, who was battling severe migraines. The rest of the Lions were unable to secure the victory in his absence.

The Lions, who are now 1-5 in conference play, will again look to turn things around tonight.

Lions lose 17 point lead, fall to 1-5 in WCC play

The Lions, who were up by 17 points in the second half, fell to University of San Francisco 61-60 tonight. With 12 seconds left on the clock LMU needed to score to win, but after driving to the hoop freshman guard Anthony Ireland decided not to shoot, giving up the ball to Ayodeji Egbeyemi who had to force up a prayer at the buzzer.

Drew Viney, who was on fire in the first half, sat out the majority of the second half with severe migraines. He finished with 11 points, all in the first period.

Larry Davis sat out the game due to illness.

Egbeyemi finished the game with his first career double-double.

The Lions drop to 1-5 in conference play while the Dons remain in second place at 5-1.

LMU will host Santa Clara on Saturday night for its annual homecoming game. Tip-off is at 5 p.m.

It's time for the players to create change

I haven't posted on my blog in a awhile. I'd like to see it's because I started a new job and I've been to busy, but that would just be an excuse. The real reason is because I'm finding it hard not to sound like a broken record.

The Lions loss to Pepperdine last weekend was the low point to an already disappointing season. LMU hasn't won in Malibu since the 1998-99 season, just making it even more difficult to feel like the Lions have made any progress over the past few years. This year was supposed to be different. This year this team was supposed to go places. It turns out the only place they've gone this season is further down the WCC standings.

But at this point, any speculation about poor team chemistry, what-ifs about the previous game, and even suggestions on what aspects of the game the team needs to improve upon just make all us fans sound like a broken record. We've said it all.

The Los Angeles Clippers began this season with a dismal 1-13 record. Since Dec. 17, however, they have gone on an impressive 12-6 streak (which began at 12-4 before losing their leading scorer to injury). According to the team, the turnaround happened non-coincidentally shortly after a players-only team meeting on a bus. At the time, many considered the Clippers to be the worst team in the NBA. In the meeting the players discussed "having pride and stepping up." That night they earned their first road win of the season, and have since gone on an impressive tear.

The season is not over for LMU. There is a tremendous amount of talent on this year's squad, and most notably that is led by Drew Viney and Vernon Teel, WCC First Team selections from less than one year ago. It honestly doesn't matter who does it, but someone on this team needs to step up like the Clippers did. These players needs to be sick of playing below their abilities, and start addressing their lack of team chemistry. These players need to want to win, and they need to want to win as a team, something I didn't specifically see in the closing seconds of the loss to Pepperdine.

I still believe this team can win any game they step onto the court for, I have just lost expectations each game day that that is going to happen. Let's hope the Lions pleasantly surprise me in a tough WCC-contest tonight against San Francisco. Go Lions!

Lions hope to turn tides against Waves

Senior Vernon Teel will look to turnaround a rough road trip | Julia Pine

LMU will hit the road tomorrow night for their rivalry game against the Pepperdine Waves in what many feel is a must-win game for the Lions. Winning in Malibu has been a challenge for the Lions, as they have not been able to beat Pepperdine on the road in over ten years. Both teams enter Saturday's game with a 1-3 conference record.

For LMU, tomorrow's game is the last of a three-game road trip in which the Lions are currently 0-2 after losing a double OT heart-breaker in Portland and getting beat badly in the second half by Gonzaga.

The Lions offensive leader on the road trip has been Drew Viney, who in the two games scored a combined 42 points. Guard Vernon Teel, on the other hand, has hit a cold patch shooting wise, going just 2-16 from the floor up north.

For Pepperdine, they have been led all season by Keion Bell, who despite missing five games is leading the team with 19.3 points per game. The Waves have struggled so far this year, posting just a 7-14 overall record. Pepperdine is coming off of three straight losses, coming at the hands of Gonzaga, St. Mary's and Portland, the three same teams that have topped LMU this conference season.

With yesterday's upsets of both Gonzaga and Portland, six of the eight teams in the WCC are separated by two games or less, making tomorrow's match-up even more crucial for the Lions. The game tips off at 7 p.m.

Thursday night WCC shakeup

Santa Clara students rush the court after the Broncos upset Gonzaga | Courtesy of Twitter

The Lions didn't play Thursday but the WCC had a wild night as two of the top three teams were shocked by upsets. The Santa Clara Broncos highlighted the night, beating Gonzaga 85-71 in Santa Clara for the first time in ten years. Gonzaga had entered the game 3-0 in conference play, while Santa Clara had been 1-2.

Santa Clara students rushed the court after the double-digit victory, much like Lions fans did last season. Gonzaga, however, is currently unranked, despite being 13-5 on the season. The Broncos' Kevin Foster had an unbelievable game, scoring 36 points in the win.

An hour later, the San Francisco Dons secured a home victory against Portland.

The WCC standings are now as follow, with Saint Mary's holding down the first place spot as the only undefeated team:

               Saint Mary's          5-0
               Gonzaga               3-1
               San Francisco       3-1
               Portland                 2-2
               Santa Clara           2-2
               LMU                      1-3
               Pepperdine           1-3
               San Diego             0-5

While it is still early in the conference season, it is worth noting that six of the eight teams in the league are separated by only two games.

The Lions will play Pepperdine Saturday night in Malibu.

Women begin conference play with a bang

Jessica Vargas is one of three senior's on this year's team who would love for the Lions to make their run this season | Courtesy of Facebook

The women's basketball team's hot start to conference play lured me into Gersten Pavilion this weekend to watch the team take on Gonzaga, who was also undefeated in conference play. The Gonzaga women's basketball team, like its men's team, has dominated the WCC for years.

Despite an eventual six-point loss, I was very much impressed with this year's women's squad. Playing without leading scorer Alex Cowling, who is unfortunately out for the year due to injury, the Lions have begun conference play 3-1, already upsetting an St. Mary's team who has not lost another conference game since falling to LMU in Moraga, Calif. opening night.

During my time as sports editor of the Loyolan I saw my fair share of women's basketball games. I have a great amount of respect for the women and Head Coach Julie Wilhoit and what they have accomplished the past few seasons, but before Saturday I had never seen them play with the drive and determination they did this weekend. It was great to see, and they have converted me into a true fan because of it.

Losing Cowling should have been a huge blow to the team. She was the 2008-09 WCC Newcomer of the Year, and made the First Team All-WCC team last season after setting the LMU single season scoring record. In the first six games of the season, before her injury, she averaged 22.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest. She is an phenomenal basketball player, especially on the offensive end of the court, and I will admit that when I heard she would be out for the year I figured it would keep LMU from competing for a WCC title.

I am glad to admit that I was wrong. Senior Renahy Young, who herself is coming back from an early season injury, was second on the team in scoring last year behind Cowling and has had a hot start to conference play. Averaging 15 points per game this year, Young has bumped that average up to 19.8 in the team's first four WCC games. That average is good enough for second best in the conference, and Young will compete with Gonzaga's Courtney Vandersloot for WCC Player of the Year, there is no doubt in my mind.

In addition to Young and her scoring ability, I have been blown away this season by freshman Camille Buckley, who may be the best rebounder I have ever seen. She plays with the fearlessness of Blake Griffin, and the oohs and aahs in Gersten when she would chase down an unbelievable difficult rebound on Saturday was like nothing I had ever heard at a women's game on the bluff before.

Buckley first caught my attention Thursday, when I checked the women's boxscore against Portland and saw that she had an astonishing 18 rebounds (eight offensive) in just 27 minutes of play. Seeing her grab 14 in person against powerhouse Gonzaga was incredible. She is currently leading the league with 12 rebounds per game in conference play. If anyone has a chance to make it to a women's game, they should.

The Lions will be clear favorite when they host Pepperdine at 2 p.m. on Saturday. I know I will be in attendance before making the trip to Malibu to see the men play, and I hope others will be too. This team is primed to make a WCC Title run, and LMU fans should be there to see it.

I vote for a Teel/Ireland position swap

Freshman Anthony Ireland has become a scorer for the Lions' offense | Courtesy of Facebook

Freshman Anthony Ireland is rapidly becoming one of the most important pieces to this Lions' team. He is LMU's second leading scorer in conference play and has showed incredible poise for a freshman during crunch time of close games.

However, I don't think Head Coach Max Good and the Lions are really using Ireland to the best of his abilities. In recent games, it's become apparent that Ireland is a pure shooter with great three-point range. However, he's currently running the point, and therefore is limited in his open-shot opportunities.

I looked back at Ireland's high school basketball stats, and in high school he was a true scorer, even scoring 40 points in one game. It's time for Ireland to fit that role for LMU, and to do that he and senior guard Vernon Teel need to switch roles.

Putting Teel in the point guard spot wouldn't be weird by any stretch of the imagination. He still runs the point now when Ireland is on the bench, and he ran the point all of last season when he helped lead the Lions to their greatest season in years. I know Good probably moved Teel off the ball to limit his turnovers, which can definitely get a little high, but that also removes Teel from doing what he does best; facilitating the basketball and setting up his teammates.

Teel recently went 0-10 in the team's loss to Portland, and shot three ill advised three-pointers. As the ESPN2 announcers kept repeating, Teel hasn't knocked down a three-point shot since November 20. However, he's primarily playing the shooting guard position. Our shooting guard doesn't have an outside shot? Recipe for disaster.

The Lions are a much better team when Teel is dishing out assists, not being asked upon to score. Sure, he will get his points driving to the basket from time to time, but last season Teel was up around the nation's leaders in assists per game, and this year that is just not the case.

Ireland's strength seems to be scoring, while Teel's strength seems to be dishing out passes. Seems clear to me who should be running the point and who should be open on the wing for a three. But, I'm in the stands not on the bench.

Some updates after the Gonzaga game

Vernon Teel played only 13 minutes in the Lions game against Gonzaga | Courtesy of Facebook

Just read on The Spokesman-Review web site that Vernon Teel didn't start in the Gonzaga game due to a sore knee. LMU had not released anything on why Teel hadn't started, but I was worried it was due to the technical foul he received down the stretch of the Portland game, which I would have found hypocritical since Head Coach Max Good received one as well.

Teel, who is averaging 32.6 minutes per game, played only 13 in the Lions game against Portland. Freshman Ayodeji Egbeyemi started in his place.

Teel went 2-6 in the game, scoring six points and pulling in four rebounds. Teel is averaging eight rebounds per game from a guard position through the team's first four conference games.

The article also had a few quotes from Gonzaga about the Lions. It's always good to know what opposing coaches and players think of LMU. Here are some highlights:

• “I don’t know if you invite [the Lions to shoot from outside], but they’re just drivers, drivers, drivers,” Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few said. “That’s how they get themselves to the line. We did a decent job in the second half of being in the gaps and shoring that up.”
• “They’re very, very talented,” Bulldogs guard David Stockton said. “It just depends on which team shows up to the gym. They’ve had some struggles, injuries have hurt them, but they’re more than capable of beating good teams.”
• “They have a lot of belief,” Bulldogs senior Steven Gray said. “They have a lot of good players and they have a lot of confidence and freedom. That’s what makes them so dangerous.”

It is nice to see that a team as talented as Gonzaga has that kind of respect for the Lions. I am assuming Teel will be back in the starting lineup Saturday against Pepperdine, but will update if I hear anything to the contrary.

Competitive basketball is back

The good news is that the Lions played three halves of incredible, competitive basketball this weekend against two of the top teams in the West Coast Conference. The bad news is that despite playing hard, the team still comes out with an 0-2 record, bringing the Lions conference record to 1-3.

Now, in some ways, that record is skewed, as LMU has played the three toughest teams in the WCC already, just four games into the conference season. I fully expect the Lions to rattle off a five game win streak starting Saturday, especially if they play like they did up north this weekend.

The Portland game was unbelievable, and it's too bad the Lions don't have anything to show for it. What was encouraging to see, however, was how LMU's tough defense continued into the first half against Gonzaga yesterday, where it held the Bulldogs to just 35 points. Unfortuntely, it seemed that LMU just ran out of gas in the second half, melting down and allowing itself to be outscored by 20. But hey, the team was facing Gonzaga on the road; not an easy task.

It's important for fans not to be too disappointed about the 1-3 conference record, and really look at the tough schedule the team has already played. After a week off, the Lions will face Pepperdine on Saturday in Malibu, a place where LMU hasn't won in years. I expect that to change Saturday.

Also, it appears Godwin Okonji sat out yesterday's game due to swelling around his nose, after being elbowed in the game at Portland. He should be back for the game at Pepperdine.

Lions to face tough test today in Spokane

Anthony Ireland has emerged as one of the top freshman in the WCC | Courtesy of Facebook

After finding themselves on the losing side of a thrilling double OT game in Portland, the Lions roadtrip doesn't get an easier today as they travel to Spokane, Wash. to take on Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are 12-5 on the season and 2-0 in conference play.

After losing WCC Player of the Year Matt Bouldin to graduation last spring, the Zags don't seem to have missed a step. Led by senior guard Steven Gray and junior center Robert Sacre, Gonzaga is riding an eight-game win streak, which includes a win over No. 9 Baylor. Gray is averaging 14.8 points per game on the season with Sacre not far behind with 13.5.

The Lions played very tough perimeter defense against Portland on Thursday, and that will have to continue tonight against Gonzaga, but most of all the Lions bigs will need to contain Sacre, who put up 24 points against Pepperdine two days ago. LMU got beat inside in double OT by Portland's Sikma, so hopefully Edgar Garibay, Godwin Okonji and Ashley Hamilton don't let that happen again.

The Lions went 1-2 against Gonzaga last season, with their last matchup coming in Las Vegas, Nev. at the WCC Tournament. The Bulldogs won the semifinal matchup before losing to Saint Mary's in the finals. LMU's biggest victory of recent years came last season when they beat then-No. 9 Gonzaga in Gersten Pavilion.

Hopefully the Lions can receive solid games from both Drew Viney and Vernon Teel, who have yet to put together impressive games on the same night in conference play. LMU is looking for the upset to tie its conference record at two.

The game tips off early at 5 p.m.

Here's to hoping that was the turning point

Last night's showdown on ESPN2 turned out to be one hell've a basketball game. Lead changes, intensified defense in the closing minutes, clutch shooting; this game had it all. Unfortuntely for the Lions, they came out on the losing end of things in a game that really could have gone either way.

But considering how tough this season has been thus far, last night's game was important for both the Lions and their fans. LMU proved that they can still compete for a top-4 spot in the WCC standings.

The most important part of last night's game was the fact that the Lions played the best defense they had all season, and they played that defense against a strong offensive team. There is no reason the Lions shouldn't be able to bring that kind of defensive intensity to every game. LMU had 11 steals and five blocks in the contest.

It is easy to point the finger at certain individuals for last night's loss, and the message boards are already having fun placing blame, but when you watch last night's game you'll see that almost everyone on the team made valuable contributions that the team could not have lived without, but also made some mental errors that hurt the Lions chances. Vernon Teel and Edgar Garibay both missed key free throws down the stretch, but both also were the only Lions making free throws during the bulk of the game. Drew Viney would have been the hero if the Lions had won, and deservedly so, as he hit the two biggest shots of the Lions season despite the loss, but was seemingly absent in the first half. The list could go on and on, but the important part is that that game was lost by the Lions as a team, but also kept close by the Lions as a team.

Both technical fouls were unfortunate (committed by Head Coach Max Good and Vernon Teel), and I expect better from Teel when it comes to keeping his composure on the court. I hope this was a good learning experience.

Overall, considering I was worried about the Lions getting embarrassingly blown out on national television, I am so pleased with last night's game. Let's hope it wasn't a fluke, and that tomorrow's game against Gonzaga is just as competitive. If we can keep things competitive against Gonzaga, St. Mary's (next time) and Gonzaga, then a fourth seed (and first-round bye at the WCC Tournament) should be in our future.

Video Clip: Drew Viney clutch three

My video clip from last night's game featured on ESPN2.



Junior Drew Viney knocks down a clutch three with six seconds to play to give LMU the lead against Portland on 1/14/11. Portland would hit two free throws to send the game into OT, and eventually win in double OT.

Talk about a heart-breaker, Lions fall to Pilots in double OT

Drew Viney had 24 points in the loss | Courtesy of Facebook

The Lions lost a heart-breaker in Portland tonight, falling to the Pilots 79-78 in double OT. LMU finished regulation on a 9-2 run to force OT, but poor free throw shooting and a questionable foul call cost the Lions the game in the end. The Lions fall to 1-2 in WCC play while the Pilots improve to 1-1.

Junior Drew Viney, who had been seemingly absent for LMU for two and a half games, turned things around in the second half tonight, knocking down two huge three-pointers to keep the Lions in the game and scoring 20 of his 24 points. With his team down by one with five seconds to play, Viney received the ball out of a timeout and burried a three from the corner to give LMU a 60-58 lead. The entire LMU team, however, failed to get back on defense, and redshirt freshman Edgar Garibay fouled Portland's Jared Stohl with two seconds to play. He knocked down both free throws to send the game into overtime.

In overtime, freshman Anthony Ireland made his presence known, scoring five points in the first overtime period including burying a deep three. Garibay had a chance to help the Lions take the lead late in OT, stepping to the free throw line with his team down by one and 20 seconds on the clock. After missing the first one, Garibay tied the game at 66 on the second, and LMU played solid defense for the final 19 seconds, sending the game into its second overtime period.

After the two teams exchanged baskets to start double OT, senior Vernon Teel had a mental lapse, earning himself a technical foul and giving the Pilots two shots and the ball, after missing two of two free throws himself. Teel had been a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripe prior to the technical.

It was the Lions second technical of the game, as Head Coach Max Good had been called for one late in regulation. It led to two Portland points.

Settling back in, the Lions found themselves down by four with 23 seconds to play, after Tim Douglas from Portland failed to extend his team's lead to five by making just one of two free throws. Again Viney showed up in the clutch, trailing Teel down the court and receiving the pass and shooting a long three in rhythm. He banked it in to bring the score to 76-75 in favor of the home team.

After another splits at the free throw line from Douglas, Viney attempted a three from the corner with ten seconds to play, but the ball went in and out. Teel was then called for his fifth foul of the game, on an extremely questionable call, and Stohl iced the game with two free throws with five seconds to play.

Ireland knocked down a three at the buzzer, but it was too little too late.

For Viney, it was his best game in weeks, as he paced all players with 24 points. Teel had the worst shooting night of his career, going 0-10 from the field, but did pull down a game high 11 rebounds and dish out a game high five assists. Ireland contributed 15 points.

The game marked the return for Ashley Hamilton, who had missed four weeks after breaking his hand. He had five points, nine rebounds and four steals.

The Lions weekend doesn't get any easier, as they will travel to Spokane, Wash. and take on powerhouse Gonzaga on Saturday. Gonzaga is 2-0 in conference play after a win over Pepperdine tonight. The game tips off early at 5 p.m.

Keys to tonight's game

Let's keep this concise. The Lions can win tonight's game. If they do, I would consider it an upset, but it is certainly possible. For the upset to happen, most, if not all, of the following must happen:

1. Drew Viney must reestablish himself. He has had back-to-back un-Drew like games, and the Lions need him to be the Drew that Lions fans know and love. He needs to turn the ball over less, and score the basketball.
2. Ashley Hamilton, if he returns to the lineup, will need to make his presence known. Both Godwin Okonji and Edgar Garibay are not scorers in the post by nature, so Hamilton needs to take on that role.
3. The Lions need to limit the Pilots' three-point shooting. They are the best three-point shooting team in the nation, and I hope that Max Good and his coaching staff came up with some defensive scheme this week to limit those opportunities.

Tonight's game can be seen live on ESPN2 at 8 p.m.

Lions vs. Pilots: Key will be stopping Stohl

Ashley Hamilton is expected to return for tomorrow's game | Courtesy of Facebook

LMU will head out on a three-game conference road-trip tomorrow, starting with the University of Portland Pilots. The Pilots are 12-4 on the season and 0-1 in WCC play after dropping their season opener on the road to Gonzaga on Saturday.

The Pilots are led by senior guard Jared Stohl, who is averaging 13.1 points per game. Stohl is also shooting 45 percent from beyond the arc, and an astonishing 71 percent of his shot attempts come from three-point land. The Pilots are the best three-point shooting team in the nation, settling in at about 45 percent.

In addition to Stohl, both Luke Sikma and Nemanja Mitrovic are also averaging double figures in scoring.

The Pilots put together the third-best non-conference record in the WCC, collecting wins over teams like Santa Barbara, Montana, Boise State and Utah to name a few. Their four losses all came at the hands of impressive teams (Washington, Kentucky, Washington State and Gonzaga).

The Lions, who lost to Portland by 40-points last year on the road but were dealing with severe off the court circumstances, will be looking to win two straight against the Pilots after LMU earned revenge last season upsetting Portland in Gersten Pavilion. The Lions are now 1-1 in WCC play after a win over USD.

According to Diamond Leung of ESPN, redshirt sophomore Ashley Hamilton should be back and available for tomorrow's game, after breaking his wrist in the Lions game against Sacramento State.

The Lions game against Portland can be seen live on ESPN2 or heard on KXLU 88.9 FM. Tip-off is at 8 p.m.

Ashley Hamilton available for Thursday's game

Ashley Hamilton | Courtesy of Facebook

Redshirt sophomore Ashley Hamilton, who has missed a couple of weeks due to a broken hand, has been cleared to play and will be available for Thursday's game against Portland, according to Diamond Leung of ESPN. Hamilton had surgery on the hand, which was broken in the Lions' game against Sacramento State.

Hamilton is averaging 8.2 points and 5.5 rebounds a game.

Thursday's game against Portland can be seen live on ESPN2 and tips off at 8 p.m.

Seton Hall in lead but LMU still in the running for Ajayi

Nigerian big man Lekan Ajayi, fresh off of a visit to Seton Hall, is favoring the east coast school, according to basketball blogger Adam Zagoria. Ajayi, however, has narrowed down his list to four schools, LMU still being one of them.

Zagoria posted the following on his blog Zagsblog today: “I really love Seton Hall,” Ajayi, who is averaging 9.5 points and 15.5 rebounds according to MaxPreps.com, said Monday morning by phone from North Carolina. “I’ve not made my decision yet, but right now I really love Seton Hall. I like what I see out there.”

Along with LMU, Ajayi is still considering Florida, Tennessee and Oklahoma. He has crossed Wake Forest, Kansas, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Alabama off his list.

LMU senior Renahy Young honored by WCC

LMU senior women's basketball star Renahy Young has been named this week's WCC Player of the Week, it was announced today. The women's basketball team began its conference season 2-0 this week, with wins over Saint Mary's and San Diego on the road.

The award was Young's fourth of her career.

Young averaged 23 points per game this week, and has now topped 20 in the scoring column in four straight contests. She also became LMU's all-time leader in free throws made.

Young missed the first eight games of the season due to a broken foot.

The women's team next takes on Portland at home on Thursday, looking to keep the team's perfect WCC season alive.

Tragedy hits LMU Athletics

David Kucera

I just got word that men's soccer sophomore David Kucera passed away unexpectedly yesterday in his Marina Del Rey home. He was 19. My thoughts are with his family, friends and the entire men's soccer program.

Big second half, Teel's double-double lead Lions past Toreros

Vernon Teel led the Lions in points, rebounds and assists in the win | Courtesy of Facebook

Outscoring the Toreros by ten in the second half, the Lions evened up their WCC record tonight after a 67-58 victory. Senior guard Vernon Teel led LMU with his fifth double-double of the season, contributing a team-high 16 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. He also went a 8-9 from the free throw line.

The Lions evened their season record at 8-8 and their WCC record at 1-1. University of San Diego fell to 0-2 in conference play.

Freshman Anthony Ireland and junior Drew Viney also reached double-figures for the Lions, scoring 15 points and 10 points, respectively.

The Lions picked it up after a lackluster first half in which they allowed themselves to get outrebounded by three. They trailed by one at the break. In the second half, LMU outrebounded San Diego 26-13.

"In the first half it seemed like we were trying hard, but not working hard," said Head Coach Max Good in a press release after the game. "I know it sounds like a contradiction, but we had good intent, but we weren't working hard to get the result we wanted. In the second half we worked hard on the glass and it paid off in the end." 

LMU shared the ball well in the game, picking up assists on 15 of the team's 20 made baskets.

Up next, the Lions will head out on what might be the toughest road trip of the season, taking on Portland on Thursday and WCC-powerhouse Gonzaga on Saturday. Thursday's game can be seen on ESPN2 and tips off at 8 p.m. Portland is 0-1 in WCC play after falling to Gonzaga tonight.

LMU hopes to even WCC record tonight against USD

Anthony Ireland | Courtesy of Facebook

The Lions (7-8, 0-1) will host the Toreros (3-12, 0-1) tonight looking to even up their West Coast Conference record at 1-1 after receiving a beating from Saint Mary's on Thursday. The Toreros are coming off of a 20-point loss to Pepperdine, even though the Waves played without their top scorer Keion Bell.

LMU did receive some good news this week, as Ashley Hamilton, who has been out a couple weeks after needing surgery on a broken hand, was cleared to practice yesterday. He is listed as questionable for tonight's game.

The Toreros finished the non-conference season with the worst record in the WCC,  and have only one player averaging double figures in scoring. That player is junior guard Darian Norris, who barely squeaks into that category with a 10.5 points per game average. The team is averaging just over 62 points per game.

The Lions won both of the two team's meetings last season, and received a 35 points game from leading scorer Drew Viney when the Lions faced the Toreros in February 2010.

Tonight's game tips off at 7 p.m., and can be heard live on KXLU 88.9 FM.

Ajayi still considering becoming a Lion

Word came out today that 6'10" center Lekan Ajayi has narrowed down his list of schools to five, and LMU is still one of them, according to college basketball recruiting reporter Adam Zagoria. Ajayi is currently on an unofficial visit to Seton Hall, where he watched them take on No. 4 Syracuse earlier today. Seton Hall put up a fight, but fell 61-56.

Ajayi is still considering Seton Hall, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Florida and Loyola Marymount. He is a player known for his defensive skills, and is the 15th best center available in the 2011 recruiting class.

It's not that we lost, but how we lost

The problem is not that the LMU men's basketball team lost to Saint Mary's last night. Saint Mary's is arguable one of the best teams in the nation right now, and clearly has one of the top-10 offenses in the country. They are third in the nation in shooting percentage, and seventh in points per game.Right now they are playing like a team who could make a solid run in the NCAA Tournament.

The problem for the Lions is that they let Saint Mary's beat them playing their game. If I were Max Good and the Lions before last night's game, I would have said the following: "Saint Mary's is a great team and we're going to have to play a flawless game to beat them. However, the last thing I want is for the Gaels (who are one of the top-20 three-point shooting teams in the nation) to beat us with the three. We will do everything we can to throw them off their game."

But I am not Max Good, and I am hoping he didn't say that, because if he had, than the team has a huge problem executing a game plan.

Everyone is Gersten Pavilion last night knew the Gaels were going to come in shooting, and so they did, knocking down 13 of their first 16 shot attempts. What confused me, and all fans within my earshot, were why the Lions looked like they didn't know that was coming. Right off the bat LMU defenders gave Saint Mary's players room to shoot. Furthermore, Lions players were doubleteaming any Gael who drove towards the basket, therefore leaving a shooter wide open. To say LMU got burned on that strategy would be an understatement.

There was even one instance when a Saint Mary's player held the right at the three-point line for a good three or four seconds, with the Lion defender two feet away with his arm somewhat outstretched. The crowd screamed at the defender to "get closer" but that didn't seem to be in the Lions gameplan. The Gaels player drained the three.

Picking apart yesterday's loss any further would be pointless. I'd basically be reiterating things that were said after previous losses. Inability to adjust mid-game, inability to execute, etc.

All the Lions can do now is look forward, and luckily for them they have the worst team in the WCC coming to Gersten tomorrow. With a win, LMU would still have a realistic shot at the fourth seed in the WCC Tournament. I guess as long as the Lions can beat up against the teams they should beat up on, we can all still pray for some sort of miraculous WCC Tournament run.

Lions no match for reigning WCC Champs

Larry Davis had 18 points in the Lions' loss to the Gaels | Courtesy of Facebook

The Lions were picked to finish higher than the Gaels in the 2010 WCC Preseason Coaches Poll but didn't play like it tonight, falling 98-75 to open West Coast Conference play. Six Gaels scored in double figures in the game, including two who had over 20 points (Rob Jones and Mickey McConnell). LMU was led by Vernon Teel with 19 points and Larry Davis with 18.

LMU was unable to stop Saint Mary's offense, which is fourth in the nation in field goal percentage and ninth in points per game. The Gaels made an astonishing 13 of their 16 field goal attempts, and had 56 points at the half.They shot 61 percent as a team in the game.

Both teams made it rain from beyond the arc, with the Gaels pouring in 11 three-pointers in the contest. The Lions made a season high seven threes, three by freshman Ayodeji Egbeyemi.

Leading scorer Drew Viney had four points, his lowest scoring total of the season, on 2-7 from the field. Viney, who is averaging over seven rebounds a game, pulled down just two boards. As a team the Lions outrebounded the Gaels 34-31, led by Larry Davis' seven.

LMU drops to 7-8 on the season while Saint Mary's improves to 13-2. The Gaels only two losses this season both came at the hands of top-25 teams.

The Lions will take on USD at home on Saturday. The Toreros lost to Pepperdine tonight in the only other WCC action of the evening. Saturday's game tips off at 7 p.m.

LMU rumored to be showing interest in East Coast small forward

Damion Lee | Courtesy of Facebook

LMU is rumored to be interested in Damion Lee, a small forward who is currently spending a post-grad year at prep powerhouse St. Thomas More in Oakdale, Conn., according to a Baltimore Sun article published one month ago. Lee graduated from Calvert Hall in Baltimore last year, after leading his team to a Baltimore Catholic League championship.

The 6'5" Lee had signed a letter on intent to attend Towson, but changed his mind last spring. According to the Baltimore Sun, Lee felt that a post-grad year "would be best for his development."

The article goes on to say that Lee "already has scholarship offers from Hofstra, Northeastern and St. Bonaventure," but Jere Quinn, Lee's coach, noted that his forward had also heard from Boston College, Delaware, Fordham, Loyola Marymount, Manhattan, Penn State and Siena.

Lee has a scouts grading of 85 on ESPN, meaning that he would be a "multi-year starter at the mid-major level."

Quality center considering LMU

6'9 center Lekan Ajayi, who is currently a high school senior at Quality Education Academy in North Carolina, is considering becoming a Lion next season, according to Yahoo's Rivals.com. The article states that Ajayi's "coaches mentioned Wake Forest, Loyola Marymount, Seton Hall, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia Tech" as possibilities for the 240 lb. center.

According to ESPN.com, Ajayi is the 15th best center available in the 2011 class. He is a strong post player known for his exceptional defense.

Thus far, the Lions current recruiting class consists of SG Bruce English.

LMU to host WCC's best to open conference play

Guards like Larry Davis are going to have tough defensive tasks tomorrow against the Gaels | Courtesy of Facebook

The Lions (7-7) welcome the Saint Mary's Gaels to Gersten Pavilion tomorrow to open WCC play at 6 p.m. The Gaels come in with the WCC's best record at an impressive 12-2, having won six straight decisions. The Lions, on the other hand, had the conference's fifth best record in non-WCC play, and are coming off of a road victory over UC Irvine.

LMU went 0-2 against Saint Mary's last season, when the Gaels went on to win the WCC Tournament in Las Vegas before eventually making it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. Overall the Lions have lost eight straight games to the Gaels.

The Gaels, having lost big man Omar Samhan to graduation after last season, have not lost a step in his absence. Saint Mary's has been led by spectacular guard play coming from Mickey McConnell and Matthew Dellavedova, who are averaging a combined 27.2 points per game and are first and second in the league in free throw percentage, respectively. Dellavedova is also first in the conference in assists per game with six, while McConnell is not far behind in second with 5.4.

Rob Jones has also become a surprising star for the Gaels, after transferring from fellow WCC school USD in 2009. Jones is averaging 13.7 points per game (good enough for second on the team) and a team-leading 5.5 rebounds per contest.

LMU has had a full week off to prepare for Saint Mary's.

The Gaels have played only two road games thus far this season, and have a 1-1 record to show for them. With school still not back in session for LMU, a large crowd is probably not expected in Gersten tomorrow, but could be important for a Lions team looking for a major upset. A win tomorrow for LMU would definitely start its conference season off in the right direction, and could really determine where this team goes in WCC play.

Edgar Garibay cleared to play after concussion

Courtesy of Facebook

Redshirt freshman center Edgar Garibay was held out of the Lions win over UC Irvine due to a concussion. As of today, however, he has been cleared to play, according to Diamond Leung of ESPN.

LMU will need Garibay in Thursday's game, as they are already without big man Ashley Hamilton who is recovering from surgery after suffering a broken hand a couple weeks ago.

The Lions game against St. Mary's will open WCC play Thursday at 6 p.m. The game can be seen live on ESPNU.

No rest for the weary

Vernon Teel had a quiet 20 points in Thursday's win over Irvine | Courtesy of Facebook

The Lions WCC schedule starts off with a bang, as LMU will face St. Mary's, Gonzaga and Portland (the conference's three best teams so far this season) in three of its first four games of 2011. With the way the Lions have been playing recently, it looks like they will begin conference play 1-3 if they don't turn things around quickly.

In the Lions victory over UC Irvine last Thursday, we fans saw more of the same lackluster play that we've seen all season long. After playing a decent first half, in which the Lions earned an eight-points lead while holding the Anteater shooters to just 38 percent overall and 21 percent from beyond the arc, LMU fans again saw a confusing Lions team in the second period.

At first, it looked like the Lions were poised to play their best half of basketball on the season. In less than six minutes, LMU pushed their eight-point lead to 19, and was moving the ball extremely well on offense.Things seemed to be clicking, but as soon as I looked down at my phone and read a text from my friend that said "Why do we look so great this half ... I'm getting too excited for conference play now," it seemed that the Lions self-destructed once again. In less than five minutes the 19-point lead was back down to eight, and then to make things worse, with just under five minutes left in the contest LMU and Irvine were locked in a close four-point game.

I give the Lions, and especially Anthony Ireland's free throw shooting, credit for pulling out the victory down the stretch, but it worries me that the game even had to get to that point. If we are fortunate enough to build a large lead against a team like St. Mary's, and then happened to let it slip down to four, there is little chance we would have been able to still pull out the win. This is actually nothing new this season, but our attitude and the way we play with a lead needs to change for us to do well in WCC play.

The first thing that fell apart when we had a large lead was our offense. I know a lot of teams like to begin to run out the clock in the second period when they hold a significant advantage, but that just doesn't seem to work for us. There were too many empty possessions midway through the second half, possessions where the Lions let the shot-clock dwindle down before being forced to take an awful shot. Whatever we were doing to get the 19 points lead was working; I would have liked to see those same offensive sets continue, even with the big lead. It's not like our offense in general couldn't use the practice ...

Thursday the Lions will host a tough St. Mary's team who has begun the season 12-2. They shoot threes well and play tough defense. If the LMU team who seems to have an inability to play a full 40-minutes of solid basketball shows up to Gersten, they will get blown out by twenty points, at least.

But, and you can call me an optimist, I will not give up hope of a victory this Thursday. For starters, we finally saw the Drew Viney Lions fans know and love last week, as he put in 22 points on 7-10 shooting (although it should be noted that if Viney is on, and making 70 percent of his shots, he should have shot at least 17 times. Just saying). Viney's "pump fake - step left - shoot" move was working to perfection, so well in fact that Vernon Teel borrowed it to knock down a long two just as the shot clock was expiring late in the second half. If Viney's outside game, which I critiqued for not being on point this season just last week, is working like it did against Irvine, he can be the type of player to change the outcome of Thursday's game, as long as other people fill in their roles adequately.

Thursday's game tips off at 6 p.m., and can be seen live on ESPNU. Hope to, however, see many of you at Gersten. Go Lions.