Lions’ Bruich Will Not Return to Team

Kristen Bruich, a two-time All-West Coast Conference selection from Loyola Marymount who left the team midway through a game last week after a dispute with Coach Todd Corman, will not return, school officials said.

Bruich, a senior who set more than a dozen school records and was the Lions’ career scoring leader, was averaging a team-high 19.6 points and 5.5 assists. She also was the Lions’ leading three-point shooter with 17 three-point baskets in 37 attempts.

However, in a game last week against Cal State Northridge, Bruich--known at times to have a volatile personality on the floor--argued with Corman on the sidelines and never returned for the second half. After the Lions lost a lead and were upset by Northridge, Bruich was suspended and missed a subsequent game at Southern Utah, which Loyola also lost.

Before Friday’s home game against Oklahoma, Bruich was expected to meet with the team, which was to vote on whether to let her return. However, Bruich apparently had misgivings about the meeting and never appeared, deciding instead to miss the rest of the season.

The school’s only official statement was that Bruich “has decided to quit the team for personal reasons.”

A school official said Bruich would probably finish school and graduate in May, but will not retain her scholarship for the spring semester.

Earlier this season Bruich, who was a co-captain, became the first women’s basketball player at Loyola to top 1,000 career points. She finished with 1,144 points.