Lions snap streak, win at Pepperdine 68-58

First of all, huge props need to be given to Anthony Ireland. There are many time every game where I think "My goodness, where would we be without AI," but tonight, with Jarred DuBois out with a concussion, the sophomore guard played a full 40 minutes of basketball and led LMU to its first win at Pepperdine since 1998. Exhausted (rightfully so) midway through the second period, Ireland did his best to conserve energy on the offensive end of the court, as to not hinder the Lions defensively. However, as soon as LMU found itself in a scoring drought, Ireland scored back-to-back buckets for the Lions when they needed it most.

The victory was an important one for the Lions, who will now enter their home game against Gonzaga Saturday night with a 3-1 West Coast Conference record. Ireland led the way with 21 points on 7-11 shooting, and Drew Viney was not far behind with 19 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Ireland and Viney are definitely beginning to work well together, and the two contributed more than half of the Lions points.

Despite allowing a somewhat disconcerting 30 points in the paint, LMU's defense held its own, holding the Waves to 37 percent from the field and 21 percent from behind the arc. Center Godwin Okonji pulled in nine boards and had a team-high four blocks. LaRon Armstead, Ayodeji Egbeyemi and Ashley Hamilton (despite shooting just 3-11 from the field) also contributed solid minutes in the win.

LMU will now look to put together a three-game conference win streak as it hosts Gonzaga Saturday night. The game has an early tip-off of 5 p.m. Jarred DuBois' status for that game is not yet known, as he will be evaluated Friday.

LMU holds on for narrow victory over Pepperdine

Drew Viney led the Lions with 21 points | Julia Pine

It wasn't pretty, and yet again the Lions blew a 14-point lead, but this time the outcome was different, as LMU held on for a three-point 82-79 victory over Pepperdine in the final home game of the season. Drew Viney returned after missing three games and made an immediate impact for the Lions, leading the team in points and rebounds with 21 and seven, respectively.

Vernon Teel honored before the game

LMU jumped out to a 14-point lead midway through the second half before letting Pepperdine's Mychel Thompson and Lorne Jackson go on an offensive explosion. Thompson ended the game with 29 points, but his last second three at the buzzer bounced off the rim, securing the victory for the Lions.

LMU is now 2-10 in WCC play. Down South, San Diego pulled off a shocking upset over WCC-leading Saint Mary's to also improve to 2-10.

Griffin Reilly honored before the game

Tonight's game was Senior Night at LMU, as Vernon Teel, Larry Davis, and walk-on Griffin Reilly were honored before the game. Davis sat out the entire game due to illness, but both Teel and Reilly got the start. Teel finished the game, his last in Gersten Pavilion, with 11 points and four assists. He also knocked down two crucial free throws in the final minute of play to help LMU secure the victory.

Anthony Ireland, Ayodeji Egbeyemi, and LaRon Armstead joined Teel and Viney in double-figure scoring.

Larry Davis, with his mother,
being honored before the game

Ashley Hamilton, who had 19 points in the Lions loss to Pepperdine earlier this season, sat out the game due to illness. The L.A.-rivals split their series for the second time in two years, with the home team winning four of the last four contests.

The Lions will now take a break from WCC play to participate in ESPN's BracketBuster event. LMU will travel to Portland State on Saturday. The game starts at 4 p.m. and Lions fans can listen live on LMULions.com.

Senior Night approaches as Lions seek win over rivals

The final game of the home season is upon us, as the Lions host the Pepperdine Waves tomorrow night. The Lions, who are 1-10 in conference play, will try to get a win for seniors Vernon Teel and Larry Davis, who will be playing in their final game at Gersten Pavilion.

The Waves enter with a conference record of 5-6, and pulled out a victory despite trailing by four with 2:25 to play. Since playing the Lions, Pepperdine said goodbye to leading-scorer Keoin Bell, who was suspended from play for the remainder of the 2011 season for conduct detrimental to the team.

The Lions received a great game from redshirt sophomore Ashley Hamilton in the team's first matchup against the Waves, as the power forward went 7-7 from the field for a team-high 19 points. Neither Drew Viney nor Vernon Teel started that game, but both made significant contributions in the loss. Viney had 17 points while Teel had a game-high nine assists and 13 points.

LMU will look to pick up some momentum before the WCC Tournament in Las Vegas, with only three games left on the conference schedule.

The game tips off at 8 p.m., and all fans in attendance will receive bobble-head dolls courtesy of The Los Angeles Loyolan.

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.