Loyola Plays Tough, but Loses

At this point, one of the things Loyola Marymount basketball Coach John Olive must tell himself is that the glass is half full, not half empty.

True, the Lions lost their seventh game in a row, this time to Providence, 83-76, Saturday night before 1,123 at Gersten Pavilion.

But it was their best effort against a quality opponent and Olive, although still unhappy with some facets of Loyola’s play, sees improvement.

“I’m finally getting a very good feel for our basketball team,” Olive said.

The Lions (2-8) were in the game until the final minute, giving Providence (8-3) a more difficult time than expected.

They pulled to within 78-75 on two free throws by Kenny Hotopp with 53 seconds to play before being forced to foul and watching the Friars make five of six free throws.

Sophomore guard Tim Kennedy, who finished with a career-high 19 points, keyed Loyola’s attack in the first half, when drove to the basket repeatedly.

“They were leaving the lanes open, so we tried to take advantage,” Kennedy said.

The Lions frustrated Providence in the half with zone defenses and led at intermission, 37-33.

But the Friars opened the second half with a 9-2 run to jump ahead, 42-39, and the teams exchanged leads almost to the end. The game was tied, 62-62, with 7:38 to play.

Center Peter Cornell scored a career-high 19 points for the Lions, and Hotopp finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

The Friars got 25 points from forward Derrick Brown, and 20 from Austin Croshere, the former Crossroads High standout.