Loyola Marymount Preview
Middle of the pack group Lions do present an opportunity
Coming off last night’s victory at Pepperdine, the Lions (15-10, 7-6) have won six of their last eight games. The win over the Waves broke a mini two game losing streak that followed five consecutive wins bridging mid-January and the first of February. The pair of losses included a six-point setback at home vs. San Francisco this past Saturday. The five-game streak included wins at home over Santa Clara (by 3), at Pacific, home vs. Portland and a sweep of San Diego.
Last night, the Lions overcame an early 16-point deficit, finishing the game on a 36-15 run to win 69-60 as 6’3” SR guard Will Johnston (Australia) finished with his WCC season-high 20 points - 18 in the second half to complete the comeback. 6’6” UCLA transfer Jan Vide was also instrumental down the stretch, finishing with 10 points off the bench as LMU closed strong down the stretch.
Recall that the Tigers were in the game virtually the entire way against the Lions last month in Stockton. Pacific rallied back from a double-digit deficit, culminated by a game-tying three by 6’7” Elias Ralph with about 8 /12 minutes remaining in the game. But the Tigers shot just 4 for 15 the rest of the way and Loyola Marymount, behind a season-high 24 points from 6’2” MJ Amey Jr. including 5-8 from three, pulled away for the win.
Pacific’s defense wilted in the waning minutes of that loss, giving up baskets on seven of eight possessions in the final 6 minutes of the game, aided by a pair of bombs from Amey Jr. Lions 6’11” JR Jevon Porter had three blocks on the evening against the smaller Pacific front court, none larger than a game sealing rejection of Ralph with Tigers down just 4 after Pacific’s leading scorer broke free for what appeared to be an easy lay-in.
Porter sat with fouls in the first game so expect LMU to find their big man inside early and test Pacific’s front line. Well-travelled 6’7” GR SR Caleb Stone-Carrawell (Utah Valley, Austin Peay, Charlotte) remains the Lions leading scorer, one of three LMU starters to log 30+ minutes per game in WCC play including 6’8” Alex Merkviladze, another graduate student. Pacific did a decent job on Johnson in the first game (8 points, 5 assists).
The Tigers had a full week to prepare for the first game with LMU as they do this week however the Lions are a roaring 10-4 at home this season with their senior-laden lineup. Pepperdine’s loss keeps the Waves at three conference victories as three teams continue to “battle” for the 8th/9th seeds in the WCC tournament - those two teams would meet in the second round with a date with #5 seed (currently Oregon State) to follow. Game time tomorrow night from Gersten Pavilion aka Hank’s House is 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET.