Lions Need Final 3 of Kimble’s 54

A banner taped to one end of St. Joseph’s Alumni Fieldhouse here Thursday read, “Welcome Back Coach Westhead.”

But Westhead’s alma mater had a different type of welcome planned. The Hawks hardly resembled a team riding a seven-game losing streak as they played a stalling game to near perfection and tied the score, 96-96, with six seconds to play.

“If you’ve charted us, we bring out the best in everybody,” Westhead said.

Down the stretch, though, Bo Kimble, making his hometown debut in a Loyola uniform, fashioned his own ending with a spinning 32-foot three-point basket at the buzzer to give the Lions a 99-96 victory before a sellout crowd of 3,200.

The stunning basket gave Kimble 54 points and 27 of Loyola’s last 31. It was Kimble’s third 50-point game in the last six, his third school record in that span and a record for a St. Joseph’s opponent--topping the 48 scored by Cincinnati’s Oscar Robertson in December, 1959.

Kimble hit 17 of 33 shots, 15 of 16 free throws and had a team-high nine rebounds.

Kimble’s successful homecoming had people talking in Oscar-like terms.

“What a shot, that’s all I can say,” veteran Hawk Coach Jim Boyle said. “He was guarded all the way. He’s fabulous. He’s one of the best scorers I’ve seen in college--ever--and I’ve seen them all.”

Kimble’s shot lifted the No. 25-ranked Lions to 8-3 and spoiled a superb game by Boyle’s outmanned Hawks (1-8). St. Joseph’s made up a nine-point deficit in the last seven minutes and never trailed by more than a basket in the final 3:53. St. Joseph’s was only the second team this season to hold Loyola to under 100 points.

Junior Richard Stewart scored a career-high 32 points, but in the final minutes, the Hawks shot it out with Loyola.

The first half was distinguished largely by Loyola’s problems with the scrappy Hawks’ stall tactics and Loyola’s inability to hit three-point attempts. The Lions hit one of 11 three-point shots in the first half and five of 20 overall--all five by Kimble. Overall, Loyola shot only 40% to the Hawks’ 58%.

Loyola trailed for portions of the first half but led, 49-41, at halftime, with Kimble scoring 22.

St. Joseph’s stormed to a 62-57 lead early in the second half and Loyola was clearly frustrated. Westhead briefly pulled Kimble when he was called for an intentional foul at the 17:13 mark.

“That (pace) is very difficult for us. Our guys did not come in flat, but they made us flat,” Westhead said. “Bo was trying to do too much, spin and put the ball on the floor. I told him just shoot.”

Kimble didn’t need a second invitation. With teammate Hank Gathers still sub-par--at 11 points he was the only other Lion in double figures--Kimble took over the offense.

He scored on a drive to put the Lions ahead, 96-94, with 1:03 to play. The teams traded turnovers before St. Joseph’s forward Craig Amos tied the score on a layup with six seconds remaining. After a timeout, the Lions inbounded to Kimble with four seconds left. He dribbled up the left sideline, glanced at the clock, spin-dribbled to his left, went up and let fly a hanging one-hander at the buzzer. It swished.

“Coach ran the play for me. I just tried to get it over half court in four seconds,” Kimble said. “I was stunned. It was a prayer. Luckily enough, I practice that shot.”

Westhead noted with a grin, “It’s his range. He just needs the ball. He doesn’t need us.”