This Time, Loyola Blocks Upset, 66-64

The shots that didn’t fall were as crucial as the ones that did Saturday night as Loyola Marymount closed out its home schedule before a crowd of 1,655 with a 66-64 victory over the University of Portland.

With the memory of the previous night’s loss to Gonzaga at the buzzer still fresh, Loyola’s Forrest McKenzie saved the game by blocking a shot by Fred Harris that would have put Portland ahead with five seconds left.

Instead, Loyola turned the blocked shot into a three-point play by Enoch Simmons to improve its record to 17-8 and stay within a game of Pepperdine in the West Coast Athletic Conference at 9-2.

Portland, which has won only once on the road, fell to 12-13 and 3-9.

Before the final shot, Harris had a strong game, leading all scorers with 24 points including 8 of Portland’s final 15, as the Pilots fought back from a nine-point second-half deficit to take a 55-52 lead with eight minutes left.

Loyola regained the lead on two long jumpers by Simmons, who tied McKenzie with 16 points.

Dwayne Corbitt, who scored all nine of his points in the second half, tied the game at 57-57 with a free throw, but Loyola regained the lead on McKenzie’s follow-up of his own miss and never relinquished it.

The Lions built a 63-60 lead on Fred Bradford’s jumper, but Harris pulled Portland within one at 63-62 with a 16-footer with 1:15 left.

Keith Smith, who led Loyola with 19 points and 10 assists, ran down the shot clock but missed a jumper with 32 seconds left, and Portland ran the clock down under 10 seconds before Harris tried for the game-winner from straightaway. McKenzie blocked it and found Simmons downcourt for a dunk and a foul. Corbitt scored for Portland at the buzzer.

Along with the blocked shot, Portland’s inability to hit free throws may have cost the Pilots the game. They made 14 of 23 overall but only 8 of 16 in the second half. That offset their 60% shooting in the second half.

“We were grasping,” Loyola Coach Paul Westhead said of the final sequence. “That last series, we were in our switching man defense, which has been good for us. On the switch, McKenzie was coming up and made the big play. We had just been in that situation a few hours before (losing to Gonzaga, 81-79, Friday night).”

The victory broke a two-game losing streak. Loyola has three road games left, the last at Pepperdine. Loyola finished 11-4 at home.

“The game meant a great deal to us,” Westhead said. “We’ve been placed into a must-win situation and we needed to get back into a winning groove. Portland played very well down the stretch--and it was a long stretch. We had enough game experience to win.”