COLLEGES / ALAN DROOZ : Systems Analysis: Loyola Will Turn Season Around

The Paul Westhead system is being put to the test this season, both at Loyola Marymount--where Jay Hillock continues the fast-break, pressing attack--and in Westhead’s own experience with the Denver Nuggets of the NBA.

The naysayers are already having a field day, and some of the folks who have been waiting years to say “I told you so” are speaking up.

But it was Westhead himself who used to caution that the system was only effective when it was fully in gear. “There’s no 60% or 70%,” he would say. “The players have to buy in 100%. It’s either all-out, or it’s awful.”

Westhead’s experience with the undertalented Nuggets so far has illustrated the latter, as did Loyola’s 51-point loss Sunday at UCLA.

The Lions say things will get better, although the next three games--at Oklahoma, Louisiana State and Georgia Tech--figure to leave the Lions licking more wounds. But don’t write them off just yet.

The system’s legacy is only that games will be exciting and both teams will be tired. Victories are no more guaranteed than in any other style. Remember, Westhead had a losing record the season Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble were redshirts, then went on to three 20-win seasons and appearances in the three NCAA tournaments.

In losing to UCLA, the Lions could have used their numerous injuries, inexperience, juggled lineups or even the fact that they were playing their third game in three nights against a well-rested team ranked in the top 10 as excuses, but they didn’t. And they didn’t stop running or pressing in an attempt to make the score more respectable.

“This is LMU, this is the way we play,” scoring leader Terrell Lowery said.

Even before the season, Hillock noted that without the firepower of Gathers, Kimble and Jeff Fryer, the Loyola system would be tested. It is not picked up easily and it is extremely strenuous to play. Hillock didn’t count on losing co-captains Tom Peabody and Tony Walker as well as 6-foot-10 center Richard Petruska to preseason injuries. And when Petruska finally got back into the lineup over the weekend, talented freshman Kareem Washington was hobbling because of a groin pull.

Hillock is persevering through it all, playing several newcomers, experimenting with lineups and working Petruska into the rotation.

“I think any style can win,” Hillock said before the season.

At Gonzaga in the early 1980s, Hillock was known as a conservative, defense-minded coach.

“I think all the coaches (in college jobs) are pretty competent,” he said. “It’s the players (who make the difference). The system does two things: generates media interest and makes recruiting easier.

“The system has highs and lows--extremes. My first year here I had trouble with that. You’re going to win some games big, and you’re going to get blown out sometimes.”

Lowery’s 31-point first half against Idaho State Saturday ranks among Loyola’s all-time scoring efforts, but Lowery fell short of a record that has withstood the team’s five-year scoring onslaught.

Jim Haderlein had a 35-point half against Nevada Las Vegas in March, 1970. Bo Kimble scored 33 points in the second half against New Mexico State in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season, and 32 in the second half at St. Joseph’s on his way to a school-record 54. Hank Gathers had a 30-point second half two years ago at Reno and finished with 49, and Lowery scored 30 in the first half two weeks ago against Chaminade.

Jones Keeping Up: Brian Jones, the forward who transferred from Cal State Long Beach to Cal State Dominguez Hills, has taken to Division II competition. Two weeks ago the 6-4 junior scored 26 points against Biola, and six days later he topped that with a career-high 32 in a victory over Sonoma State. Jones leads the Toros into Saturday’s game at Southern California College with a 19.4-point average. He’s also among rebounding leaders at 6.2 per game as the Toros are enjoying a 5.6-rebound edge per game over opponents.

Stat of the Week: The starting five for the Dominguez Hills women’s basketball team is averaging double figures in scoring. Dionne Vanlandingham leads the attack with a 14-point average, followed by Devon Akita at 13.3, Denise Slater and Cheri Bullet at 12.4 and LaRonda Poydras at 11.3. Not coincidentally, after beating Biola, 74-64, Wednesday night, the Lady Toros are 7-1, tying the best start in school history.

The Lady Toros play host to Cal State Stanislaus at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Notes

Sophomore forward Amy Rubin and senior defender Donna Robertson of Dominguez Hills were named to the 11-woman West Region Division II All-America first team Thursday, and midfielder Jenny Grasso, a sophomore, and defender Carla Vanscherpenseel, a junior, were named to the second team. Also on the second team is former Torrance High standout Shannon Maddock, a junior forward at Sonoma State. . . . Sophomore Denise Slater was named most valuable player after leading the Cal State Dominguez Hills women’s basketball team to Fresno Pacific tournament title. She had 36 points and 11 rebounds in the two victories. Teammates Dionne Vanlandingham and LaRonda Poydras also received all-tournament honors as the Lady Toros won the tourney for the second year in a row.

Dominguez Hills announced the signing of Orange Coast College forward Erika Manning to a basketball letter of intent. Manning, a 5-foot-9 sophomore out of Cypress, earned all-league honors at Orange Coast last season. . . . Holly McPeak of UCLA recently became the 13th volleyball player in NCAA history to record 5,000 assists. The setter out of Mira Costa High and her teammates play host to the NCAA Western Regionals Friday and Saturday at the Wooden Center. . . . Julie Jamile completed a standout volleyball career at Santa Clara with school records for career assists (3,875), digs (1,273) and service aces. The Torrance native’s record for digs is also a West Coast Conference record.