Yoest’s 37 Lead Loyola Over Chapman, 100-95

Playing up to the opposition, as Loyola Marymount did a month ago against Iowa, raises eyebrows. Playing down to the opposition, as Loyola appeared to do Tuesday night against Chapman College, causes furrows.

Whether or not Loyola (10-7) took its Division II opponents lightly, it beat them, 100-95, before a crowd of 1,150 in Gersten Pavilion, although the Lions didn’t have it easy.

It was the last nonconference game of the regular season for Loyola, which resumes West Coast Athletic Conference play Saturday at Pepperdine. Chapman fell to 9-8.

Loyola forward Mike Yoest scored a career-high 37 points, including 13 of 16 free throws, to help Loyola withstand a career-best 33 points by Chapman guard Jon Samuelson, who had 22 in the second half.

Loyola built a 70-58 lead with 15:40 left and appeared to be on the verge of a blowout when Samuelson heated up. Eight minutes later, Samuelson had scored 12 points, and Chapman had caught Loyola at 80-80. After the teams traded baskets, Samuelson hit his fourth three-pointer and Chapman led, 85-82, with 5:35 left.

Yoest answered with two straight baskets, and Loyola ran off 11 points in a row on the way to the win.

In scoring 100 or more points for the seventh time this season, Loyola had five players with 10 or more. Mark Armstrong had 13 points and also led all rebounders with 10. His nine first-half rebounds kept Loyola in the game when Chapman was ahead by as many as nine points. Guard Chris Nikchevich chipped in 14 points and 11 assists.

Chapman led for much of the first half, building a 41-32 advantage with seven minutes left behind Kelly Huston’s 15 first-half points and Samuelson’s 11.

But Loyola then caught fire, running off a 28-7 spree and taking a 58-49 lead at intermission. Yoest had 17 points, and Armstrong added 11.

“The first half, we were just switching defenses until we found something that clicked,” Loyola Coach Paul Westhead said. “With about six minutes left, we went to our zone. Ironically, we generated our run better off our zone than our press. We were fishing.”

Westhead said he enjoyed the rapid tempo, even though Chapman did, too. “Fortunately, even when we’re not playing real well, if we’re running we’re OK. If we’re not playing well and it slows down, we’re in trouble. Even though we got down in the first half, I wasn’t too worried because of the pace.”