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NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : Michigan Seeks to Put Loy in Loyola

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

The key, both teams agree, probably will be rebounding when Loyola Marymount plays Michigan today at 2 p.m. in a second-round NCAA tournament game at Long Beach Arena. Think of it as Loy vs. Loyola.

In Friday’s 76-70 victory over Illinois State, Michigan forward Loy Vaught was the difference, pulling down 21 rebounds and dominating inside. Nonetheless, the Wolverines were out-rebounded, 54-51.

In beating New Mexico State, 111-92, Friday night, Loyola (24-5) controlled the boards, 51-35. Bo Kimble grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds to go with 45 points. The Lions got 24 offensive rebounds.

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Though its running game tends to neutralize height differences, Loyola’s weakness has been rebounding against bigger teams, and defending national champion Michigan (23-7) qualifies with the 6-foot-9 Vaught, 6-10 center Terry Mills and 6-11 freshman Eric Riley off the bench.

“Rebounding will be critical. Illinois State had 23 offensive rebounds. We have to do a better job,” Michigan Coach Steve Fisher said Saturday.

Loyola Coach Paul Westhead said the Lions gave extra effort to compensate for the loss of the late Hank Gathers. “I would say rebounding is the key,” Westhead said. “We were very strong (Friday night). The concern about rebounding was contagious. It’s a conscious effort, from the big men down to the smallest guard.”

And when the 6-5 Kimble was told he had 18 rebounds, he smiled and said: “You can just call me Baby Hank. If we do that for the remainder of the postseason, we’ll be hard to beat.”

If Vaught and Mills have big games and Rumeal Robinson is able to handle Loyola’s press, Michigan will probably advance. If Loyola’s speed leaves the big men at half-court, Fisher said, the Wolverines will be in trouble.

“We’re not a team that’s opposed to running,” Fisher said. “However, we can’t run with them for 40 minutes. I would hope it’s not in the 130 to 140 (point) range. We have to make sure fatigue is not an opponent. If you start to wear down or get careless, (Loyola) can get ‘em in bunches.”

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Kimble led a 38-10 Loyola burst after halftime Friday night with 33 second-half points, but his most amazing feat might have been staying in the game after drawing his fourth foul with 4:45 to play in the first half.

Westhead said he was aware that some Loyola fans were booing when he didn’t bench Kimble. “I heard the boos,” Westhead said. “I wanted to turn around and tell the crowd, ‘Trust me.’ I firmly believe if you have your best player sitting on the bench, he’s of no value. Bo knew he was going to play.”

Fisher said he was astonished when Kimble stayed in the lineup.

“I’m sitting with my wife, I said, ‘I can’t believe it,’ Fisher said. “You have to have a tremendously experienced and intelligent player to do that, and Kimble is.”

Fisher said of Westhead’s decision, “He’s a better man than I.”

Quite an admission for a coach who is 7-0 in NCAA tournament play.

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