Loyola Outlasts Portland, 126-103

The University of Portland has won only 13 games in the last three seasons, but for nearly 30 minutes Thursday, the Pilots appeared ready to upset 22nd-ranked Loyola Marymount.

Portland built first-half leads of double figures and had a seven-point advantage in the second half in front of 4,886 at the Chiles Center before Loyola ran away with a 126-103 victory.

The Lions got the victory behind the scoring of Bo Kimble, who had 39 points, Hank Gathers with 31 and Jeff Fryer with 24.

Portland tried to run with Loyola in the second half, and was outscored, 69-42. The Lions scored 52 points in the last 15 minutes.

Loyola is 14-3 overall and 5-0 in the West Coast Conference. Portland fell to 5-13 and 2-3.

“Our guys had to play up in the second half, and they did,” Loyola Coach Paul Westhead said. “It was not an easy win. I sensed it was going to be a game we would have to win; it wouldn’t be handed to us. The first 10, 12 minutes we gave them reason to think that.”

The Pilots set the pace in the first half. Led by Will McDowell’s eight points and some long-range shooting by Josh Lowery later, Portland overcame an early deficit and led, 43-32, with 6:11 left in the half.

Loyola answered with a 14-4 spurt in the next two minutes to pull to within a point, then regained the lead at 50-49 on a free throw by Gathers.

But Portland finished the half with a 12-7 run, held a 61-57 lead at halftime and moved ahead 64-57 early in the second half.

But six minutes into the half, Loyola turned its press up a notch. The Lions outscored the Pilots, 18-5, to take the lead for good.

Down the stretch, Kimble, who had been scoring mostly inside, pulled up for four three-pointers, and Fryer added three more as the Lions hit 12 of 21 shots from three-point range in their seventh consecutive victory.

McDowell finished with 29 points and 14 rebounds, and Lowery added 24 points for the Pilots. Gathers and Kimble each had 11 rebounds. Per Stumer added 11 points--three three-pointers--and eight rebounds. The Lions’ press forced 24 turnovers.