LMU falls to 5-3 in WCC play

Drew Viney had 18 points for the Lions in the loss.

The Saint Mary's Gaels preserved their perfect conference record tonight, defeating the LMU Lions 71-64. The visiting Gaels were led by Stephen Holt, who finished with 19 points and six rebounds. The Gaels are now 9-0 in West Coast Conference play, while the Lions fell to 5-3. LMU's three losses, however, have come to the top three teams in the league.

The loss is only a frustrating one for LMU because of the team's hot start. The Lions held a six-point lead with five minutes remaining in the first half, before trailing by four at the break. LMU had no answer to the Gaels offense in the second period, as Saint Mary's scored at ease down the stretch.

LMU was led by redshirt senior Drew Viney, who finished with 18 points. Eleven of Viney's 11 points, however, came in the opening minutes of the game. Point guard Anthony Ireland finished with 15 points and five assists, while Ashley Hamilton chipped in 14 points and five rebounds of his own.

The Lions will now continue this homestand against Portland on Saturday. The Pilots played Gonzaga tough tonight, before eventually losing by 12. Portland is now 2-6 in conference play. LMU is still looking for its first conference home win, and Saturday's game will be an extremely important one for the Lions if they want to stay in the top tier of the conference's standings. Game tips off at 7 p.m.