High-Flying Show of Loyola Attracts Full House at USD

Those who went to the right gymnasium for the Loyola Marymount-University of San Diego basketball game Saturday night at USD--and some didn’t--were treated to the high-scoring, high-flying show that is customary when the Lions play.

How good a draw is Loyola?

Spectators began lining up two hours before the 7:30 p.m. tip-off, despite a constant drizzle. The attendance was listed at 2,500 (capacity), but there were about 200 fans in standing-room-only sections, and school officials estimated that more than 1,500 people had to be turned away. And this was at a time when most of USD’s students were away for the semester break.

“We’ve turned people away before, but we’ve never had people standing in line like that,” said Ted Gosen, USD’s sports information director.

A few who were turned away said they had called ahead for reserved seating; one even claimed to have given his credit card number over the phone to someone. But USD does not sell tickets in advance or have reserved seating, aside from the Torero Blue booster club.

Meanwhile, a few miles up Interstate 5, UC San Diego officials said they had at least 25 groups show up at what they thought was the site of the LMU-USD game, only to find UCSD’s women’s team playing Pomona Pitzer.

“Many people who don’t generally see basketball games in this area got confused and showed up at our gym,” said Bill Gannon, UCSD sports information director. “We even had calls during the week asking about tickets for the game.”

Two of the primary reasons for the Lions’ appeal are Bo Kimble, the nation’s leading scorer with a 37-point average, and Hank Gathers, who led the nation in scoring and rebounding last season.

Said Kimble, who played high school ball with Gathers at Dobbins Tech in Philadelphia: “I was telling Hank before the game that this reminded me of my high school gym. I love playing in an atmosphere like this.”

Loyola, second in the nation in scoring offense at 117.6-points per game, defeated USD, 119-112. The 231 points was the third-highest total in a USD game. Naturally, the top two (267 and 243) also came against Loyola. (Oklahoma leads the nation in scoring offense, averaging 121.2 points per game).

More points to consider:

Of the five local college men’s games played Saturday night, four had a winner in triple-digit scoring.

Christian Heritage defeated Cal State San Bernardino, 109-85, Point Loma Nazarene defeated Biola, 100-87, and UC San Diego defeated Redlands, 116-100.

San Diego State won the old-fashioned way, 72-68, over Air Force.

Christian Heritage (13-4) and UC San Diego (11-4) remain Nos. 1 and 2 among the Southland’s independent schools.

Few expected UCSD to do that well this year, with no seniors after going 9-17 in 1988-89. A big test for the Tritons comes this weekend when they play host to UC Santa Cruz (Friday) and highly regarded Menlo College (Saturday). Both games are at 7 p.m.

Christian Heritage plays its annual homecoming game against The Masters College at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Grossmont College. The Hawks are ranked No. 1 in the National Christian Colleges Athletic Assn.

Mark Kraatz, a guard, was named NAIA District 3 player of last week after scoring 75 points in three games, including a career-high 34 against Grace College (Indiana).

Bill Kinney has been named football coach at Southwestern College, replacing Bob Mears, who resigned after 13 years at the Chula Vista school to devote more time to his son’s auto racing career.

Kinney, 43, has been an assistant at Southwestern for nine seasons, sandwiched around four years as coach at Marian High (1980-83).

Kinney said he will retain many of Mears assistants, including defensive coordinator Bing Dawson and line coach Dale O’Brien, and will add two others who had taken a year off for personal reasons.

Gil Warren, who built a new house, will return, as will Jan Chapman, who last year helped coach at Hilltop High where his son, David, was a wide receiver.

Mears, 56, had a record of 71-69-4 and won four of five Hall of Fame Bowls, which he founded eight years ago.

The uncle of racing brothers Rick Mears (three-time Indy 500 champion) and Roger Mears (off-road champion), Bob Mears said he will help out with administrative duties and part-time coaching next season at Southwestern, but he wants to help his son, Lance, in his promising career.

Lance, 27, won 19 of 27 amateur races three years ago and was presented with the Golden Helmet Award in 1987 for winning nine of nine San Diego Sports Car Club of America races.

At that point, Bob Mears said, money ran out.

“Now,” he said, “I’m working with some people to secure some new sponsorships. That’s what it takes to race.”

Phil Mickelson, a 1988 USDHS graduate, finished second in the voting for amateur golfer of the year by Golf Digest. Mickelson, who plays for Arizona State, won the NCAA title in 1989, becoming the fourth freshman and just the second left-hander to do so.

In last week’s Tucson Open, Mickelson finished tied for 18th with an eight-under par 280 (71-66-71-72). Had he not been competing as an amateur, he would have won $10,908.

San Diego State’s revitalized track and field program will play host to all-comers meets each of the next three Saturdays at 9 a.m. at Choc Sportsman Track. SDSU’s track program was temporarily suspended last summer by Athletic Director Fred Miller because of budgetary problems.