Loyola’s Win Is Big for Olive

It wasn’t the biggest game in town Friday night, not with the somewhat more publicized matchup at the nearby Forum. But it was big for Loyola Marymount Coach John Olive.

The Lions, sparked by the second-half shooting of forward Ben Ammerman, turned a close game into a fairly decisive 83-69 West Coast Conference victory over Gonzaga before 1,672 at Gersten Pavilion.

The victory put the Lions, 14-6 overall and 4-3 in the WCC, into a four-way tie for second place, behind Santa Clara, in the conference.

Fourteen victories are the most in one season under Olive, now in his fourth season, as are the four conference victories.

And the Lions achieved these milestones without much offensive support from their leading scorer, center Ime Oduok, who struggled for the third consecutive game, scoring only eight points.

Ammerman, however, picked up the slack nicely.

He scored 14 of his career-high 22 points and made four of his five three-point baskets in the second half. His consecutive three-point shots gave his team a 48-45 lead with 14:02 to play.

And when Gonzaga, 13-6 overall, 4-3 WCC, fought back to take a 62-61 lead on guard Kevin Williams’ three-point basket with 5:32 left, it was Ammerman who dished the ball to forward Kenny Hottop, who scored under the basket. And it was Ammerman who took a pass from Jim Williamson near the baseline and made another three-point shot to put the Lions up, 66-62, with 4:49 left.

The Lions forced 19 turnovers and boxed out the Bulldogs’ 7-foot center, Paul Rogers, nicely in the second half. Rogers was the Bulldogs’ offense in the first half, scoring 14 points. But he managed only four in the second.

Loyola plays host to Portland tonight at 7.