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.