COLLEGE NOTES : Explosive Loyola Basketball Team Packs Arenas From Coast to Coast

Fastest draw in the West?

At the moment, it’s no contest. Wherever Loyola Marymount plays, tickets are at a premium.

Last week the Lions set an attendance record of 4,886 at Portland’s Chiles Center on a rainy Oregon night, then played before a standing-room-only crowd at Gonzaga. Two weeks before, it was standing room only at Santa Clara and San Diego, where spectators were warned that if they left the gym at halftime they wouldn’t get back in.

On Loyola’s Eastern swing in the first week of January, the Lions set a field-house record of 3,200 at St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia, then played LaSalle before a house of 10,004 in the Philadelphia Civic Center, a sellout despite cable television coverage.

In December the Lions drew 9,183 at Oregon State on another wet evening in the Northwest, and in Cincinnati a season-high Xavier crowd of 8,741 turned out although the game was on local TV.

Another large crowd is expected Saturday when Loyola plays Louisiana State in the 14,236-seat Maravich Assembly Center in a nationally televised game.

“We should be getting a percentage of the gate,” Lions Coach Paul Westhead quipped.

At home, the Lions are nearly averaging sellout level, thanks to several standing-room-only crowds that have topped the official Gersten Pavilion seating capacity of 4,156.

The Lions’ crowd-pleasing style and high-scoring feats have not been lost on the youngest fans, even on the road, where fans root against the Lions for 40 minutes, then mob their locker room for autographs.

After last week’s game at Gonzaga, security personnel at Martin Centre needed police barriers to keep droves of autograph seekers from Loyola’s locker room. When Hank Gathers emerged, he asked one young Spokane boy: “Who’s your favorite player?” In a sincere voice, the youngster replied, “You are, Hank.” He got his autograph.

Westhead may have taken a cue from Sylvester Stallone, who learned that whatever the critics say, action is boffo at the box office.

The makeup of the California Collegiate Athletic Assn., which loses Cal State Northridge after this school year, faces a further challenge if a new baseball conference is in the works.

The CCAA has long billed itself as the Division II “Conference of Champions” and has dominated nationally in a number of sports. But Northridge is upgrading its program to Division I next fall, depriving the conference of a perennial contender in volleyball, swimming, softball and baseball. UC Riverside is studying a move as well.

Now Chapman College in Orange apparently is considering upgrading its baseball program to Division I. Chapman reportedly has received an invitation to join Grand Canyon College of Phoenix--which has made plans to go up to Division I in 1991--Sacramento State, a perennial Division II baseball power, and U.S. International, a Division I independent, in forming a new conference. With UC Riverside also looking at Division I, the CCAA could suddenly be down to five baseball teams.

However, Cal State Dominguez Hills Athletic Director Dan Guerrero, who is on the CCAA planning committee, points out that for now that is Chapman baseball Coach Mike Weathers’ desire. Chapman has no athletic director and its department is in flux.

“The desire is but one (aspect),” Guerrero said. “There’s practicality, expenses, scholarships. There’s a lot to consider. (A move by Chapman) would obviously impact our conference. There’s a kind of domino effect. You have to watch what the other schools in your conference are doing.”

The CCAA expects to bolster its membership by adding Cal State San Bernardino, possibly by the next school year. Guerrero said the NCAA is also studying several suggestions to make Division II more attractive both to low-level Division I schools and high-powered Division III members.

Chapman is expected to announce its decision by June.

While the Dominguez Hills women’s basketball team has faded in conference play, freshman center Yvonne Vanlandingham has continued excellent play. The 6-foot center out of Long Beach Poly High leads the Lady Toros in scoring at 11.3 points per game, which also tops all freshmen in the conference. She ranks among conference leaders in rebounds (7.2 per game), steals (33) and blocked shots (14).

Interpreters Apply Within--This quote last week from Cal State Los Angeles basketball Coach Henry Dyer after his team lost to Dominguez Hills, 64-62: “We reacted like the barn was on fire and (Dominguez Hills) reacted like they were at a funeral. It’s tough to win against that kind of play.”

Stat of the Week: The Cal State Dominguez Hills men’s basketball was 0-8 in games in which it trailed at the half until Saturday night, when the Toros erased a halftime deficit of 33-29 and defeated Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 58-56.

College Notes:Loyola’s Bo Kimble was named West Coast Conference basketball Player of the Month for January. He averaged 34.8 points and 7.8 rebounds and shot 56.4% in leading the Lions to an 8-1 record. Kimble was WCC Player of the Month in December as well. Kimble was also named WCC Player of the Week for the fifth time this season . . . If Kimble leads the nation in scoring, on the heels of Hank Gathers’ doing so last season, they would be the only teammates to do so in consecutive seasons since Furman’s Frank Selvy in 1954 and Darrell Floyd in 1955 . . . Former Dominguez Hills golfer Pat Burke recently qualified for the pro tour. Burke earned All-American honors for the Toros as a junior in 1985 . . . Loyola forward Per Stumer has re-emerged in the Lions offense. In six conference games he is shooting 68% and is 13 of 21 from three-point range (62%) while averaging 11.2 points and 7.7 rebounds. Since returning from the team’s East Coast swing the first week of January, Stumer has scored in double figures in all but one game . . . The Loyola lacrosse club will play host to Humboldt State at noon Saturday and Occidental at noon Sunday.