Loyola Opens New Era : Hillock’s Lions to Play Australian Team

Ready or not, the Loyola Marymount basketball team will play a preseason exhibition game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against a touring Australian team.

The Sydney Kings offer the first competition for the post-Paul Westhead Lions, who will be without point guard Tony Walker and center Richard Petruska, both nursing lingering injuries.

Coach Jay Hillock will start junior Terrell Lowery--moving from shooting guard to point guard in Walker’s absence--and community college transfer Craig Holt in the backcourt, senior Tom Peabody and junior Chris Knight at forwards and junior John O’Connell at center. Redshirt sophomore Brian McCloskey, expected to add scoring punch at forward, will probably be the first player off the bench.

The Lions’ standout freshman class, notably Rahim Harris and Kareem Washington, should also see considerable action. Both were impressive in the team’s intrasquad scrimmage last weekend, with Washington scoring 54 points and Harris 45. Swingman Ross Richardson and point guard Greg Evans, who round out the recruiting class, also showed promise.

The Kings, who are playing a nine-game tour, open Friday at Pepperdine. The team features a handful of Australian Olympians as well as former Southland prep star and University of Iowa standout Steve Carfino. The Kings advanced to the Australian leagues’ final four last year.

Walker, who led the West Coast Conference in assists last season, had wrist surgery over the summer and was suffering increasing pain when he was sidelined last week. He is hopeful of getting medical clearance to return to practice next week.

Petruska, the 6-foot-10 Czech transfer around whom Hillock hopes to build an inside game, suffered a groin injury on the first day of practice. When he returned to practice Monday he was unable to run hard. It appears doubtful he’ll be ready for the Lions’ opening games in the Maui Invitational over Thanksgiving weekend.

The Loyola women’s team plays host to Athletes in Action in a preseason exhibition at 7:30 tonight. The Lions, coming off a 14-14 season, return most of their starting lineup including guards Kristen Bruich and Lynn Flanagan and center Tricia Gibson, who rank 1-2-3 in Loyola career scoring. With a deeper team than last season, Coach Todd Corman will be trying to institute a more up-tempo attack.