High-Scoring Loyola Marymount Tests St. Mary’s Defense Tonight

Loyola Marymount will provide Bay Area fans with a study in extremes when the Lions play at St. Mary’s tonight in Moraga. Not only are the Lions the first basketball team in West Coast Athletic Conference history to go from last place to first in one year, but they lead the country in scoring and face the nation’s fifth-best defensive team in the Gaels.

Loyola, 22-3 overall and 12-0 in the WCAC, is coming off a record-setting performance against Pepperdine in which the Lions scored a conference-high 142 points. The Lions are averaging more than 110 points.

St. Mary’s, 17-7 and in a three-way tie for second at 8-4, has allowed only 48 and 40 in its last two games. The Gaels, however, lost the latter game to Santa Clara when they could manage only 33 points, their lowest total since 1946. The Gaels are averaging 64.5 points but are giving up only 57.

Loyola has four of the top seven scorers in the conference, led by Hank Gathers at 22.3 and Bo Kimble at 21.9. St. Mary’s top scorer, forward Robert Haugen, is averaging 14.3. Forward Erick Newman leads the WCAC in shooting at 62%.

In the teams’ earlier meeting this season at Loyola, the Lions won, 98-81. Feelings were hurt on both sides as Loyola’s substitutes tried to break 100 points and the Gaels tried to stall.

The Lions finish the regular schedule Saturday at San Diego.