Return of Loyola’s Kimble Makes Trip Tougher for USD

Amid all the numbers--and there were many in Loyola Marymount’s 181-150 victory over U.S. International Tuesday--the 20 points by a certain 6-foot 5-inch West Coast Athletic Conference first-team guard may have been the most significant.

Loyola’s Bo Kimble, after missing 13 games with a knee injury, is back. And that means added trouble for the University of San Diego men’s basketball team when it visits Loyola (11-7, 5-1) Saturday night after facing Pepperdine (13-8, 5-1) in Malibu tonight.

“(Kimble) just adds another piece to the puzzle,” said Hank Egan, USD’s coach. “It also extends their bench and gives them that much more potential.”

USD (6-12, 1-5) is coming off its first WCAC victory, 69-64 over San Francisco. The Toreros were led by freshmen guards Wayman Strickland (17 points) and Gylan Dottin (16 points, eight rebounds). Dottin leads USD in scoring with 13 points per game; sophomore center Dondi Bell leads USD in rebounding (6.6) and the WCAC in blocked shots (2.2).

Pepperdine, Loyola and St. Mary’s are tied for first in the WCAC, but St. Mary’s visits Loyola Friday and Pepperdine Saturday.

Junior forwards Dexter Howard and Tom Lewis lead Pepperdine with 17.4 and 16.6 points per game. Loyola center Hank Gathers leads the nation in scoring average (33.0) and rebounds (13.3). Jeff Fryer adds 23.4 points per game and Enoch Simmons 23.4 to give the Lions the most potent offense in the NCAA.