Edgar Garibay requests release

I am hearing that Edgar Garibay has asked for a release from the LMU Men's Basketball team. He is not here in San Francisco, where the Lions lead the Dons 37-20 at the half. More details to come.

Update from the Athletics Department: Prior to the team's departure to San Francisco, redshirt sophomore Edgar Garibay asked for and was granted his release from the LMU men's basketball program. Garibay played 37 games in three season, earning a medical redshirt in his freshman season in 2009-10 after tearing his ACL...

WCC play begins tonight at USF

After a very up and down non-conference schedule, the Lions will take the court tonight against the University of San Francisco to tip of their portion of West Coast Conference play. The San Francisco Dons are coming off of a double-digit loss to Pepperdine, and will be looking to avoid beginning their own conference schedule at 0-2.

The Lions will again be without forward Ashley Hamilton, who will remain out due to injury through mid-January.

The Lions should match up well against the Dons, who don't have an exceptional amount of size. The team did, however, build an impressive 9-4 record during non-conference play.

LMU will be looking to get revenge from one season ago, when the team fell to the USF by one point in both of the team's two match-ups. Tonight's game tips off at 5 p.m. Stay tuned to twitter.com/thebottomlinejp for live updates from San Francisco.

LMU completes non-conference play

The Lions ended their non-conference schedule this evening, beating NAIA-opponent Vanguard by the score of 100-74. Forward Drew Viney returned to action for LMU and led all scorers with 29 points. LMU opens West Coast Conference play Saturday at San Francisco. Game will tip-off at 5 p.m.

San Francisco, meanwhile, will open WCC play Thursday at Pepperdine.

The Lions wrapped up their non-conference schedule with a 7-6 record, highlighted by wins over Saint Louis and UCLA. LMU was 5-6 against Division I opponents.

Lions to close out non-conference play with Vanguard

LMU will take on Vanguard tomorrow evening to wrap up it's non-conference schedule. Vanguard, not a Division I team, is 7-4 on the season, most recently defeating the other non-Division I team LMU played earlier this year, La Sierra.

The Lions are coming off of a stretch in which they have lost three of four games, including two ugly losses on their most recent road trip. LMU can't gain too much tomorrow against the weaker Vanguard, but will hopefully continue to get in some good work on the court before opening West Coast Conference play Saturday night at San Francisco.

The Athletics Department stated that the Lions expect forward Ashley Hamilton to be out through December, which probably means he is unlikely to play in LMU's Dec. 31 WCC-opening contest. Drew Viney returned to practice this week, after not making the east coast road trip. Without their top two scorers the Lions struggled immensely on offensive end of the court, shooting 35.5% during the two-game road trip.

Tuesday's game against Vanguard tips off at 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Shooting woes continue at Morgan State

LMU's post-game press release does the trick for this afternoon's embarrassing loss at Morgan State.

BALTIMORE - Finishing a two-game road swing on the east coast LMU men's basketball looked sluggish from the beginning and they couldn't recover, falling to Morgan State 69-45 at Hill Field House in Baltimore, Md., on Wednesday night.

The Lions shot just 32.1 percent (9-for-28) from the field and committed 11 of their 18 turnovers in the first half to set the tone for their struggles throughout the game. Morgan State, who entered the game one of the lowest three-point shooting teams in the nation, matched a season-high in three-pointers with five in the first half to earn the early cushion.

"We couldn't do anything right," said Head Coach Max Good. "You are going to have games where shots don't fall, but you have to be willing to work at other areas to work through that. We flat out didn't do that tonight."

Read the rest here.

Lions set to wrap up road trip at Morgan State

The Lions (6-5) will battle Morgan State (1-7) tomorrow at 4 p.m. PT. This is the Lion's final Division I opponent before they begin West Coast Conference play at San Francisco on Dec. 31.

Morgan State has only one win on the season, with it coming in the team's last game one week ago against UMBC. The Bears have played a tough schedule, however, losing to teams such as No. 15 Xavier, UNLV and USC. The team also has three loses by give points or less.

LMU is coming off of a double-digit loss to Florida State on Sunday, and will be looking to turn things around offensively after an awful shooting game down in Florida. The Lions will also look to do a better job rebounding the ball, and must do so against 7'2" Ian Chiles as well as 6'9" Kevin Thompson, who is averaging almost 16 points and nine rebounds per game.

The Lions will again be without Drew Viney and Ashley Hamilton.

Following the game, LMU will wrap up its non-conference season against Vanguard on Dec. 27 in Gersten Pavilion. Tomorrow's game can be heard live on lmulions.com.

LMU a player for recruit Aquille Carr

LMU is recruiting 5'6" Aquille Carr, who ESPN ranks as the 59th best recruit in the 2013 class, according to Zagsblog.com. According to a report in the blog, Carr's Head Coach Harry Martin states that Seton Hall, Baylor, Xavier and LMU are the schools "working the hardest" and "expressing the most interest" in Carr.

The guard has also heard from Texas, Oklahoma State and DePaul. Carr is expected to be at LMU's game tomorrow at Morgan State.

Known as one of the quickest and most explosive players in the country, Carr is currently playing for Patterson High School in Baltimore, MD. He is a point guard.

Read more about Carr in his ESPN profile here.

Thanks to Ironlion for initially finding this report.

Lions flat against Florida State

Miss today's Florida State game? All you really need to know is that the Lions shot 35 percent from the field (and only 28 percent in the first half) and gave up 25 second-chance points. That's the reason they lost 77-61.

Florida State may have one of the strongest defenses in the nation, but that is not why the Lions shot such a low percentage. LMU consistently missed shots, many of them open looks, all afternoon. With Drew Viney and Ashley Hamilton both out of the game, Jarred DuBois' 1-10 from the field with six turnovers really didn't help. Anthony Ireland, C.J. Blackwell and LaRon Armstead were the only Lions to truly score in the game, which featured 11 different Lions on the court. Ireland led the way with 19, Blackwell had 14 while Armstead had 11.

Secondly, the Lions were once again out-rebounded, and it was Florida State's 21 offensive boards that really hurt, leading to the 25 second-chance points. The Semioles are clearly bigger, taller and more athletic, but the Lions did not do a good job under the basket trying to box out some of those bigger guys.

Ireland didn't start the game after being late to a team meeting. He did start the second half, and was the Lions' leading scorer. He also added four assists and four rebounds.

Godwin Okonji once against played limited minutes due to foul trouble, and Edgar Garibay didn't contribute anything positive in his 10 minutes of play. Florida State outscored LMU 38-12 in the paint.

The Lions will end their two-game road trip Wednesday when they face Morgan State. Game will tip-off at 4 p.m. and fans can listen live at lmulions.com.

Lions to take on Florida State on ESPNU Sunday

LMU arrived in Florida early this morning to kick off a two-game road trip that begins at Florida State tomorrow. The game tips off at noon PT and will be shown on ESPNU.

The Seminoles are 7-3 on the season, with each of the team's three losses coming back-to-back-to-back in late November. Florida State has lost to Harvard, Connecticut and Michigan State, but is thus far perfect at home.

The Lions will be without Drew Viney, who did not make the trip East, which will continue Wednesday at Morgan State.

The battle between the Lions and Seminoles will likely be a low-scoring affair, as Florida State's stellar defense has only allowed 70 or more points once this season. LMU will also have a more defensive-minded lineup on the court with Viney not available. 

Viney expected to miss upcoming road trip

It looks like the Lions may have brought Drew Viney back a little too early, as the redshirt senior is expected to miss LMU's upcoming east coast road trip to Florida State and Morgan State, which begins Sunday. Viney also sat out the Lions win over Idaho State last Saturday night.

The Lions have proven they can win without their returning leading scorer Viney, as the forward has only appeared in two games this season, both losses. Meanwhile, the Lions have upset two ranked teams (UCLA and Saint Louis) without him.

In my personal opinion, I don't think it hurts the Lions too much to be without Drew next week. There is no question he is the most talented player on the team, but from what I've seen thus far this season the Lions have not found a way to work Drew into their style of play. The games the Lions have won they've won with exceptional defense, athleticism and speed, something they lose a bit of when Drew starts in the place of either Ayodeji Egbeyemi or Quincy Lawson. The Lions need enough time to work Drew into their game plan and rotation before his addition makes the team significantly better.

That being said, the Lions need Drew Viney on the court if they want to make a significant push at a WCC title. They've showed they can be a very good team without him, but their offense is flat at times and needs the punch that Drew can bring with his 20+ points per game. If he waits to come back when he is 100%, and has time to fully practice with the team, there is little doubt in my mind that he will be an exceptional addition to the team we all saw beat Saint Louis.

Lions end homestand with come-from-behind victory

C.J. Blackwell stepped to the free throw line with 1.4 seconds on the clock and the Lions down by two to the Idaho State Bengals tonight. The freshman showed no nerves, knocking down both free throws to send the game into overtime, where LMU eventually won 80-72.

"If you can play defense and rebound, you will give your team a chance every time," said Head Coach Max Good. "Blackwell did that tonight. He showed a lot of poise for a freshman in drilling those free throws."

With 8:55 remaining in the second period the Lions found themselves in their biggest hole of the game, trailing 63-53. But clutch three-point shooting helped bring them back, with Jarred DuBois, Blackwell and Ayodeji Egbeyemi all hitting big second-half threes to close the gap. The overtime period was all Lions.

This was the second overtime game of the season between the Lions and Bengals, with the Lions winning both. Their record is now 6-4 on the season.

Five different Lions scored in double-figured, with DuBois leading the way with 15 on 5-11 shooting. LaRon Armstead had 14, Anthony Ireland and Blackwell had 13, and Quincy Lawson had 11. The Lions had a bountiful 27 three-point attempts in the contest, knocking down nine of them. Blackwell also had a game-high 11 rebounds.

The Lions played without Drew Viney, who has appeared in only two games this season due to injury.

LMU will now head out on a two-game east coast road trip, that begins with Florida State on Sunday. The game can be seen live on ESPNU at noon. Then, the Lions will play at Morgan State on Dec. 21.

Lions to face Bengals for second time this season

Senior LaRon Armstead has stepped up big for the Lions recently

The Lions will take on the Idaho State Bengals for the second time this season tomorrow at Gersten Pavilion at 7 p.m. The two teams met Nov. 23 in Idaho, as the Lions pulled off a thrilling double overtime victory with the help of sophomore guard Anthony Ireland's 25 points.

Since facing the Bengals, the Lions have gone 3-2, with a win over then-No.23 Saint Louis and disappointing losses to Columbia and North Texas. Since facing the Lions, Idaho State has gone 1-3, with a win over North Dakota and losses to Utah State, New Mexico, and most recently Boise State.

Jarred DuBois will hopefully be back in the lineup for LMU, who desperately missed his sure hand Sunday when committing 16 turnovers. All signs point to him returning to the court.

The Lions will be looking to pick up the home victory before heading out on a tough two-game road trip to take on Florida State and Morgan State.

Lions look lost in loss

The Lions fell to the North Texas Mean Green this afternoon by a final score of 76-63. After winning three straight, LMU has now lost two straight games against Division I opponents.

The story of the game was turnovers, as LMU turned the ball over 16 times while the Mean Green only lost the ball four times. The Lions offense struggled across the board, with LaRon Armstead leading the team with 16 points but shooting only 4-11 from the field. Drew Viney was the only other Lion in double figures, contributing 10 points on 3-7 shooting but turned the ball over five times.

LMU was without Jarred Dubois, who missed his second-straight game due to soreness in his foot.

The Lions have a week to work things out, as they don't return to action until Saturday night when they take on Idaho State for the second time this season. LMU pulled out a double OT victory at Idaho State last month.

Lions to close out tournament against North Texas

C. J. Blackwell had a career-high 21 points Saturday

LMU took care of its business last night against NAIA opponent La Sierra, winning 87-45. Freshman C.J. Blackwell led the way with a career-high 21 points against the non-Division I foe.

Drew Viney, who had made his season-debut Friday night, did not suit up for LMU. He will likely be back on the court tonight, as I would assume the coaching staff didn't want to rush him back into the lineup for back-to-back-to-back games.

Jarred DuBois also missed the action, and was on the sidelines in a boot. According to the Los Angeles Loyolan, it was a precautionary measure.

The Lions will close out their Centeniial Classic Tournament today at 1:30 p.m. against North Texas. The Mean Green lost to a hot Columbia team yesterday. After lighting up the Lions Friday night, Columbia is now shooting a blistering 24-36 from behind the arc in the tournament.

Jekyll and Hyde

The only bright spot of the evening was seeing Drew Viney back on the court.

Life as a Lions fan can pretty much be summed up with a detailed summary of the last 78 seconds of tonight's game against Columbia.

Down by 12 with 1:18 to play, LMU switched into a full-court press, raised the intensity of its defense, and scored three straight baskets from inside the key to cut the deficit to six with 38 seconds still remaining. The energy and hope that had earlier escaped the building quickly returned to the crowd of 3,844, and ideas of a miraculous comeback crept into everybody's mind. But, just as quickly as the comeback began, it ended, and poor shot choices suddenly snapped the Lions' three-game winning streak. LMU lost by the final score of 69-61.

The similarities are too apparent. First, the Lions beat Saint Louis Tuesday in one of the best played games I've seen in years. Hopes and expectations soared for Lions fans, much like they did after a very impressive 18-16 season in 2009-10. Then, by halftime of Friday's game, the Lions trailed by 14 and look flat, confused and nothing like a team that could contend in the WCC. That's where fans will have de ja vu back to last season, when high expectations and a boatload of talent ended with an 8th play finish in WCC play. The ups and downs can't be good for the hearts of all these Lions fans.

Were expectations too high entering today's game? Definitely. Fans (myself included) got swept up in the excitement of Tuesday. However, are the Lions more talented than the Columbia team they were embarrassed by tonight? Definitely. And that's the worst kind of loss.

Someone may look at the box score and think Columbia is the best shooting team in the country, after they lit the Lions up shooting 52 percent from the field and 63 percent from beyond the arc. While the visiting Lions shot extremely well, the defensive rotations by LMU were awful, and Columbia shooters were left with wide open shots Division I basketball players should only dream about.

Quick Hits:
Despite coming in off the bench, Drew Viney made his season debut, scoring 10 points in 22 minutes. His shot looked smooth as silk, but his conditioning and defense are not yet game-ready. Viney has one of the best shots I've ever seen, but right now his style of play doesn't exactly fit in with the identity the Lions have when they are playing their best basketball.

Anthony Ireland finished with a team-high 17 points, but had only one assist from the PG position. The offense looked weak for the majority of the game, and it looked like the Lions weren't running offensive sets often enough.

The Lions shot 5-18 from behind the arc. Instead of driving to the hoop, they settled for (sometimes ill-advised) jump shots, even when they weren't falling.

Jarred DuBois helped lead the Lions attempt of a comeback, scoring eight points in game's last 62 seconds. He scored five points in the game's other 39 mintes. He needs to bring that scoring mentality to the entire game, especially when the team is struggling to find its shot.

LMU will take on a non-Division I team tomorrow (La Sierra), so the opportunity to erase the feeling of tonight's loss will have to wait until Sunday. Tomorrow's game tips off at 7:30 p.m.

Thoughts, expectations and more ...

Can the Lions keep their focus with a lineup change and against unranked opponents?

The Lions' game against Saint Louis Tuesday was one of the most well-played, complete LMU games I've seen in a long time. The defense was stellar, the chemistry was better than it's been in years, and multiple players stepped up to fill the roles required of them. The win was great, but the matter of which the Lions earned that win was even more important in my mind.

A few things that stood out:

• I thought the coaching staff did an excellent job. Most people won't remember that the beginning of the game was sloppy (missed defensive assignments, missed lay-ups), and that is very much because of the fact that the coaching staff seemed to have righted the ship early on in the game. I also want to give Coach Good and co. credit for their substitution pattern. LaRon Armstead was hot from the field, and Good gave the team the opportunity to ride that. Good also managed foul trouble extremely well.
• Anthony Ireland was tough as nails down the stretch. He hadn't shot well at home thus far this season, but he didn't let it stop him from shooting through his cold-spell. A big three-pointer from the top of the key got him going again, and as he did in the Idaho State win he took the team on his back for a portion of the second half.
• Jarred DuBois has let Ireland shine this year, but he stepped up bigtime went Ireland went to the bench with foul trouble. Props to JD for leading the run that, in the end, really won LMU the game.
• LaRon Armstead plays inconsistent minutes but still manages to produce when he's on the court. He's always had a nice shot, but with Drew, Ashley and even AI out of the game late in the second-half, he had to create his own shot, something that hadn't been asked of him to do in a Lions uniform in years. The way he played Tuesday, Good is forced to find playing time for the senior this weekend. Congrats to him for such a strong game.

The Lions now have a great opportunity to improve to 7-2 on the season with three home games this weekend against weaker teams. Drew Viney is expected back in the lineup, which will definitely be a weight off the shoulder of Anthony Ireland, who will now have someone else helping to steady the offense. 

I'm as excited as anyone to see Drew back on the court, but it does bring up a few concerns; the rotation and chemistry. Things seem to be gelling so well right now, that bringing in a guy that should play well over 30 minutes a game is going to change things. Good and his staff are going to have to figure out a way to work the bench guys into the lineup with Drew, and eventually Ashley, holding down the forward spots. Lions fans shouldn't be surprised if a new rotation takes some getting used to. But with a player as talented as Drew Viney, I know the players and Good will figure out whatever it takes.

The Lions next take the court Friday at 7 p.m. against Columbia. LMU has been known to play to the level of its opponents in the past, but let's hope they come out with the same intensity and focus they had in the second half of Tuesday's game.