UC Santa Barbara Extends Loyola Slump to Six, 80-61

During Loyola Marymount’s 16-game losing streak, Coach John Olive has maintained that the Lions have played hard.

But no amount of effort can make up for mistakes, a fact that Olive was more than willing to point out Monday night after UC Santa Barbara pulled away in the second half for an 80-61 victory before 2,147 at Gersten Pavilion.

Loyola (0-6), with the help of an aggressive full-court press, had erased a 16-point, first-half deficit and pulled within 46-43 when center Wyking Jones grabbed an offensive rebound and scored with 12:02 to play.

But the Lions turned the ball over on their next three possessions as Santa Barbara (3-3) went on a 14-0 run and regained control. Loyola finished with 25 turnovers, one under its average.

“We made critical offensive mistakes,” Olive said. “When you can’t score, you can’t get back into the press. We made some poor offensive decisions during that time and they were able to push (their lead) back up.”

Jones, a 6-foot-7 junior, led Loyola with a career-best 26 points on nine-for-13 shooting and had a team-high nine rebounds. But Loyola shot 34.5% and was outrebounded, 45-39.

Guard Chris Ford, a sophomore from Fremont High, led four Santa Barbara players in double figures with 15 points, including four three-point shots. He made two three-pointers during the 14-0 run that gave the Gauchos’ a 60-43 lead with 7:43 remaining. Forward Kyle Milling added 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

The Lions will try to end their losing streak, the longest in school history, when they play host to San Diego State on Thursday night.