COLLEGES : Tough Games Shoot Down the Critics of Loyola’s Foes

West Coast Conference basketball teams have been accused of playing non-conference schedules that were softer than overboiled spaghetti, but the WCC is taking on meatier challenges this season, none more so than Loyola Marymount.

In fact, the question Loyola followers may be asking by the time they take down the Christmas lights is if the Lions bit off more than they could chew.

On Wednesday, Loyola opens in the first round of the Big Apple National Invitation Tournament at Nevada-Las Vegas, which is ranked No. 1 in many preseason polls. Between Dec. 9 and Dec. 23, the Lions will take on UC Santa Barbara, Oregon State and Oklahoma.

In the first week of 1990, there are road games at Xavier of Ohio and LaSalle, both considered Top 20 candidates. In early February, Loyola travels to Baton Rouge for a match-up with Louisiana State, another team getting No. 1 preseason rankings.

WCC Commissioner Michael Gilleran, who has urged conference members to upgrade their schedules, said this week, “Loyola Marymount may be playing the best schedule of anyone (in the WCC) in my six years (as commissioner).”

Lions Coach Paul Westhead says it will be a good way to get his team ready for conference play, though the record may not reflect it.

“We could be struggling to be .500 and still have a good team and be playing well,” Westhead admitted. “Or maybe it will all come together and we could be 10-1. Maybe patience is the key. It’s nice to start out with a few easy games and start out 10-1, (but) that’s not gonna be our world.”

Westhead likened the situation to a racehorse moving up in class: “It’s a question of degree of difficulty. If you’re an excellent horse in the thoroughbred world and winning small purses and keep moving up, you can find yourself placing fourth even if your times are better. But if it gets you ready for the Kentucky Derby, it’s worth it.”

The jury is still out on Hank Gathers’ experiment to shoot free throws left-handed. Gathers, a natural right-hander, shot free throws left-handed in two exhibition games last week, with mixed results.

In Loyola Marymount’s public intrasquad game, Gathers made 14 of 16 foul shots and was exhilarated, pointing out afterward that the southpaw shot not only feels more comfortable but has better form than his right-handed shot. Last season, on the way to leading the nation in scoring, Gathers took more than 300 foul shots and made only 56% (shooting right-handed). “I wanted to shoot lefty last year but the coaches didn’t want me to,” he said.

Saturday’s game showed why. Playing the touring Australian National Team, Gathers made only two of 13 free throws, drawing good-natured applause for the pair that went in. Loyola coaches fear the ribbing won’t be so good-natured on the road and might have a psychological effect on their star.

Gathers, however, took it in stride. Looking at a box score, he shook his head and commented: “Usually when I’m off, it’s short, but I’m on target, I’m on the rim. Tonight I didn’t know where the ball was going, with either hand. I don’t know if I was tired or what.”

The next test will be for keeps--at UNLV on Wednesday, when free throws could make or break a close game.

Sophomore guard Terrell Lowery was taken to the hospital early Saturday complaining of abdominal pain and missed Loyola’s basketball exhibition that night against Australia. A battery of tests determined Lowery apparently suffered gastroenteritis from food poisoning. He was back in the gym this week, although he was held out of practice for several days. He’s expected to be healthy and in uniform for next week’s season opener against Nevada-Las Vegas.

The Loyola women’s basketball team will play host to the University of British Columbia in a preseason exhibition at 1 p.m. Sunday. Coach Todd Corman, who hopes to battle for the West Coast Conference title, returns much of his team, led by all-conference players Kristen Bruich at guard and Tricia Gibson at center. Both are coming off knee surgery but have played at full speed in practice. Also back are starters Lynn Flanagan at guard and Michelle Bettencourt at forward and letter winners Nicole Taylor, Jamie Jesko and Joelle Longobardi.

The Lions will be without freshman Carrie Taylor, considered the team’s top recruit, who has not practiced and is transferring out of Loyola for personal reasons.

Befitting their strong finish, the Cal State Dominguez Hills men placed three players on the all-California Collegiate Athletic Assn. soccer team, with senior forward Joe Flanagan and junior sweeper Martin Mira named to the first team and senior fullback Billy Charles to the second team. Senior goalie Chris Wilson and sophomores Matt Swindle, a midfielder, and fullback Rich Gabaldon received honorable mention. Cal State Bakersfield’s Arturo Jauregui was named CCAA most valuable player, and Bakersfield’s Simon Tobin earned coach of the year honors. The Toros, who finished fourth in the CCAA, won their last two games and knocked Cal Poly San Luis Obispo out of the championship.

College Notes: Loyola’s Jan. 6 basketball game at LaSalle, originally scheduled to start at 11:30 p.m. EST, has been moved to sometime between 7 and 8 p.m. EST . . . Former Loyola basketball stars Forrest McKenzie and Mike Yoest are playing professionally for different teams in Portugal . . . Loyola’s Kerry House leads the West Coast Conference volleyball teams in dig average at 4.25 per game, which ranks in the top 20 nationally. Santa Clara’s Julie Jamile of Torrance leads the WCC in ace average (.536) and is second in assists (9.52) . . . Loyola’s Anita Irwin is fifth in assists at 8.09 . . . Loyola’s soccer team finished the season with a 3-13 record. The Lions bowed out over the weekend with a 4-1 loss to the University of San Diego. Ken Warcholik scored the goal to finish with a team-high five goals and 10 points, followed by Jan Klein with four (nine points . . . Loyola basketball player Chris Scott broke a bone in his right thumb in practice Tuesday and will wear a cast for six weeks. The coaches may decide at that time to redshirt the 6-foot-8 freshman out of Union City.