Olive Allowed to Coach, but Loyola Loses, 63-53

Coach John Olive, who fainted during the second half of Friday night’s game against Santa Clara, was back on the bench Saturday night for Loyola Marymount’s 63-53 loss to St. Mary’s at Gersten Pavilion.

“I’m fine, I’m absolutely fine,” he said before the game.

Olive, standing to argue a traveling call with about nine minutes to play in Friday night’s game, collapsed in front of the Loyola bench before being helped into a chair by guard Robin Kirksey.

His face ashen, a listless Olive remained seated for most of the rest of the game, rested in the trainer’s room for about 30 minutes afterward and later underwent tests at Centinela Hospital in Inglewood.

Olive, who will be 40 on Wednesday, was given a clean bill of health and was back in his office Saturday at 8 a.m.

He said he had been suffering from a head cold.

“And when I jumped up to argue the call . . . sometimes you get a little lightheaded,” he said. “And with a head cold and inner-ear inflammation, it affects your balance. That’s what the doctor said. With the inner-ear infection, my equilibrium wasn’t what it should have been.”

Olive said he has not taken proper care of himself during a trying season. The Lions will be seeded eighth in the West Coast Conference tournament for the third consecutive year.

Loyola, which won six of its first seven games to match the best start in school history, ended the regular season at 12-14 overall and 4-10 in the WCC, finishing tied for sixth with Pepperdine and San Francisco. It will play host Santa Clara (21-5, 12-2) in the first round Saturday.

“I push myself hard, as a lot of coaches do,” said Olive, who is 25-55 in three seasons at Loyola. “This is a difficult time of the year for a lot of coaches. We’ve been through a long, grueling season.

“I haven’t slept as much as I’d like, I haven’t eaten as well as I would like, I haven’t gotten any exercise for a couple months.”

Olive didn’t hold back Saturday night, pacing in front of the bench as he watched St. Mary’s (17-9, 10-4) send Loyola to its third consecutive loss.