Loyola Marymount Slide Goes On
The beginning of each calendar year is supposed to offer hope for the following months. But for the Loyola Marymount men’s basketball team, the month of January has been anything but hopeful in recent years.
St. Mary’s became the latest opponent to push around the Lions, knocking them further into the West Coast Conference basement with an 83-67 victory in front of 2,316 on Saturday night in Gersten Pavilion.
The Gaels (17-5, 4-1) shot 68% in the second half and made nine of 15 three-point shots in the game.
“We played about as well as we could play,” Coach Randy Bennett said. “We shot the ball.”
In losing its fifth in a row and seventh in eight games, Loyola Marymount (9-10, 1-5) has now lost 30 of 41 January games in Steve Aggers’ five seasons as coach. Escaping last place won’t be any easier with starters Brandon Worthy, Daryl Pegram and Adoyah Evans-Miller sidelined because of major injuries.
“We’re a little frustrated, there’s no question about that,” Aggers said. “It’s not a good league to have three of your starters sitting on the bench. You have to have all the bullets in your gun when you’re competing in this league.”
St. Mary’s remained in a tie for first place by sweeping Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount on the road for the first time since the 1996-97 season, the last time the Gaels made the NCAA tournament.
Daniel Kickert tied a career high with 28 points. Paul Marigney had 17 points and E.J. Rowland had 14 for the Gaels.
Ater the Lions’ Matthew Knight scored the opening points of the second half, St. Mary’s responded with a 13-2 run for a 50-34 lead.
Loyola Marymount cut the deficit to 11 points but Kickert made two three-pointers and Rowland had another in a 15-0 run that finished off the Lions.
“You’re not going to beat anybody if you can’t guard the three,” Aggers said.
Knight and Wes Wardrop each had 14 points for Loyola Marymount.
Eric Stephens
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Santa Clara 83, Pepperdine 71 -- The season continues to slip away from Pepperdine like the ball through the fingers of its foible-prone players.
The Waves surrendered 29 points off their 19 turnovers in Firestone Fieldhouse, prolonging a disturbing trend while extending to four their season-high losing streak.
“They didn’t turn it over and we did,” Coach Paul Westphal said, noting that the Broncos finished with eight turnovers. “We’ve had a hard time handling the ball all year. It keeps being a problem.”
Pepperdine (12-9, 2-4) lost despite making 51.9% of its shots, 63.0% in the second half. The Waves made nine of 14 three-pointers for the game.
Santa Clara guard Kyle Bailey scored 21 of his game-high 25 points in the second half as the Broncos (11-9, 4-1) extended a two-point halftime lead to as many as 14.
Travis Niesen had 14 points and Doron Perkins and Ethan Rohde had 12 apiece for Santa Clara, which won at Pepperdine for the first time since Jan. 20, 1996.
Pepperdine guard Alex Acker, who scored 21 points on eight-for-12 shooting, cut the Santa Clara lead to 56-55 midway through the second half on a three-pointer. But the Broncos reeled off eight consecutive points on a driving layup by Bailey, a putback by Niesen and a three-pointer by Bailey to surge ahead, 63-55.
The Waves, who have tried several ballhandlers to compensate for their lack of a true point guard, have averaged 14.7 turnovers during their losing streak. Struggling guard Marvin Lea did not play because of a coach’s decision.
“It’s hard losing four in a row,” said forward Yakhouba Diawara, who finished with 11 points. “But there’s a long way to go. It’s not over yet.”
Ben Bolch
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No. 11 Gonzaga 68, San Diego 56 -- J.P. Batista scored a career-high 22 points and the Bulldogs (14-4, 4-2) opened the second half at San Diego with a 16-0 run to pull away from the Toreros (10-8, 2-3).
San Diego shot only 10% in the second half and 30.6% overall.