Plenty of Potential Lion Tamers as WCC Race Opens : College basketball: Loyola Marymount will have a tough time defending its title in what is forecast to be a wide-open race.

The focus of power among West Coast Conference basketball teams has been in Southern California in recent seasons. With the exception of the 1988-89 season, when St. Mary’s was the champion, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine and San Diego have won every title since the 1981-82 season.

That trend was expected to continue this season, but as the WCC begins its first full weekend of play tonight, preseason favorite San Diego has stumbled. Santa Clara has taken on the look of front-runner and improved Gonzaga has introduced itself as a contender.

Loyola and Pepperdine, playing the toughest preconference schedules among WCC teams, have been competitive, but beatable.

In fact, among the eight conference teams, only Portland (1-11) and St. Mary’s (4-10) appear to have no chance of winning the title. But with the apparent parity in the WCC, the Pilots and the Gaels could be factors in the race.

Loyola (6-8) plays host to Santa Clara (10-5 overall, 1-0 in league play) tonight at 8, and San Diego (7-6) on Saturday night at 8. Both games will be telecast by SportsChannel.

Santa Clara beat the Lions, 100-93, in the Maui tournament to open the season.

“I’d say there’s a top five--the three Southern California schools, Santa Clara and Gonzaga,” Loyola Coach Jay Hillock said.

“Santa Clara’s a big game for us. We’re playing the best team right off. I thought they were a year away but (forward) Rhea Taylor has been hurt a lot the last few years but he’s providing the missing ingredient. Put that in with (7-footer) Ronnie Reis, and you and me would be a pretty good team.

“San Diego is real balanced. I expected San Diego to win a couple more games. But I expected us to win a couple more games. Gonzaga (9-4) is like the old Gonzaga--solid. They’ll win their 17 games.”

Pepperdine (6-7) plays the same teams in reverse order today and Saturday. The Waves are suffering through their first three-game losing streak under Coach Tom Asbury, but have two of the WCC’s best players in center Geoff Lear and guard Doug Christie.

Pepperdine is 4-3 at home. The losing streak may be a bit deceptive, because all three games were against national-caliber programs--Arizona, Temple and Kansas.

Of Loyola’s eight losses, seven have come on the road including games against UCLA, Louisiana State, Oklahoma and Georgia Tech. The Lions are 3-1 at home. Their biggest problem has been--and remains--a lack of a backup point guard and a disabling number injuries.

Freshman Kareem Washington, who has not played since Dec. 2, and sophomore Brian McCloskey, out since Dec. 15, began light workouts this week and may be in uniform tonight. But because of the extensive time missed “they’re three weeks away” from being in game shape, Hillock said.

Even if those two players return, freshman Rahim Harris sprained an ankle this week in practice and may miss two weeks. Tom Peabody is still battling the flu, which has also slowed Chris Knight in recent days.

“I thought one reason we’ve been winning games lately was because Rahim’s been playing well,” Hillock said. “It’s been discouraging for me. Next year we’re taking flu shots.”

When Santa Clara defeated the Lions in November, Reis got 29 points and 17 rebounds and Taylor scored 22. The Lions led most of the game but looked disoriented down the stretch as the Broncos overtook them.

Terrell Lowery, who is the WCC’s scoring leader with a 29.9 average, was held to 19 points in the loss. He hasn’t scored less than 26 points in the last eight games.

Lowery also leads the conference in assists with 10 per game. Another factor that might be in Loyola’s favor this time is the presence of center Richard Petruska, who missed the first game with injuries. He has scored 20 or more points in the past three games.

“One guy who’s doing better is the Czech,” Hillock said. “We probably expected too much without any preparation. This system, you just don’t pick it up (quickly). If we can keep him out of foul trouble, he’s something new for Reis.”

Reis is averaging 14.9 points and leads the WCC in rebounding at 11.4 per game. Santa Clara and San Francisco (8-6, 1-0) opened the conference season last weekend. The Broncos defeated San Diego, 68-61, and the Dons beat St. Mary’s, 87-82. Taylor, third in the conference in scoring at 19.6, got 23 points and 11 rebounds and blocked three shots in Santa Clara’s victory.

San Diego has one of the WCC’s best guards in Pat Holbert, averaging 14.2 points, but the senior was shut out by Santa Clara. After starting the season 5-0, the Toreros lost four consecutive games. The first loss, at Indiana, was expected, but subsequent losses to Cal State Northridge and Eastern Washington were not.

Other matchups in the WCC this week find USF and St. Mary’s entertaining Portland and Gonzaga. In the wake of Paul Landreaux’s resignation, St. Mary’s is being coached on an interim basis by 30-year-old assistant Dave Fehte. With some of the WCC’s top newcomers in forward Tim Owens, center Darryl Johnson and guard Orlando Smart, USF has forged a 7-2 record at home but is only 1-4 on the road.

Loyola has lost only five conference games in the last three seasons, but five defeats could be good enough to win the WCC this season.