Dec. 27, 2001

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QUICKLY
The Loyola Marymount University (LMU) men's basketball team will head into their final three non-conference battles of the season on an eight-day rest. They will need the rest, as they will play three games in seven days. LMU will play two of their final three non-conference tilts on the road, beginning with Montana in Missoula on Sunday, Dec. 30 at 1:05 p.m. (PST). The Lions are coming off a heartbreaking 81-67 loss to USC in which they held a 15-point second half lead.

THE GRIZZLIES
The University of Montana Grizzlies are 5-7 on the season and are 4-1 at the Adams Center in Missoula. Montana is coming off a 1-2 stint in the 4th annual Yahoo!Sports Invitational in Hawaii. They defeated Navy in the first round, 78-61 and then lost to Tulsa, 92-82 and New Mexico State, 79-67.

RESTORING THE ROAR
It has been a successful non-conference campaign to date for the Lions, who enter the game against Montana with an overall record of 6-5. The six non-conference wins are the most since 1995-96 when the team went 9-3 heading into conference play. With the early season success, LMU has taken hold of second year Head Coach Steve Aggers' 'Team First' approach. Since he became the Lions' 22nd head coach in April 2000, Aggers has taken the program from an RPI ranking of #314 and in just over 18 months has turned it into an RPI of #157 as of Dec. 27. In the middle of the Lions' three-game win streak from Dec. 2 through Dec. 8 the Lions found themselves with their highest RPI ranking in more than nine years at #76. The fast start also has the Lions sitting among the top three of the West Coast Conference. The rise has been in part to the Lions hot shooting. Heading into the weekend, the Lions ranked #1 in shooting at 46.5 percent and #1 in free throw shooting at 79.2 percent (which is ranked second in the nation behind BYU's 79.7 percent).

BALANCED ATTACH
The 'Team First' Lions attack has been very balanced this season, as they had five players score in double figures for the second time this season in the 76-68 win against Long Beach State. They first did it against Sacramento State in the 95-77 win on Dec. 8. The 81-67 loss to USC was the only time this season the Lions failed to have three or more players score in double figures. Seniors Greg Lakey and Robert Davis each did it with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Both sophomores Kent Dennis and Keith Kincade were a point short, each scoring nine. With sophomore Sherman Gay and senior Sean Mollins each netting 10 points in the win over the 49ers, the Lions already have 10 players on the season to score double digits in a game, with five different players finishing a game leading the team in scoring. Both Davis and Lakey lead the team with eight games each in double figures. Both did it against Long Beach State, with Lakey scoring 12 and Davis earning 10. Freshman Andy Osborn has six games in double digits, getting 11 against Long Beach State. Sophomore Keith Kincade has five, followed by sophomore Kent Dennis and senior Marcus Smith with three, senior Eurskine Robinson with two and freshman Charles Brown joining Gay and Mollins with one.

SUBS, PLEASE!
The Lions have proven this season they are a much deeper team than in years past, as evident by the bench scoring. Bench scoring has been a large of the Lions recent success, winning four of their last six contests. In the eight-point win at Long Beach State, LMU's bench outscored the 49ers 39-22. Seniors Robert Davis and Sean Mollins, combined with sophomores Sherman Gay and Kent Dennis to score all 39 bench points, with Davis, Mollins and Gay hitting for 10 points each. In the first half, they combined for 26 of the Lions' 33 first half points. The bench output continues a trend for the Lions, who outscored UNLV 31-19 and had their best outing against UC Santa Barbara, outscoring the Gauchos 41-14 in the 77-70 win on Dec. 5. The edge off the bench was first evident in the 80-78 win over Texas A&M in which the bench outscored the Aggies' bench 33-17. On the season, the Lions' subs have outscored the opponent's bench in six of the 11 games and have combined for 312 points to the opponents 246.

IN THE MIDDLE
Senior Greg Lakey is playing his fourth and final season of collegiate basketball, his second at LMU since transferring in 1999-00 from USC. The Lynwood, Calif., native has been the man in the middle for the Lions in his final campaign. After having major foot surgery over the summer, Lakey has completely recovered and finds himself leading the Lions in minutes with 27.7 per game and one of only two Lions (freshman Andy Osborn) to have started every game. He has made the most of his minutes, leading the team in scoring with 11.6 points per game and second in rebounds with 5.8 per game. He has been on a tear of late, leading the team with 14.3 points and 7.0 rebounds over the last four contests for LMU. He had 16 points and five boards in the win against Sacramento State and had 15 points and another five rebounds in the loss to UNLV. His play on the glass has stepped up even more in the last two games, grabbing nine boards in both the win over Long Beach State and the loss to USC. In addition, he had 12 points against the 49ers and 14 against the Trojans. He has been efficient, hitting 64.3 percent from the field and 95.5 (21-of-22) from the free throw line in the last four games. On the season, he leads the team in shooting, hitting 59.5 percent from the field.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
Freshman Andy Osborn has started his collegiate career with one of the greatest debuts of any freshman at LMU. His first three games at LMU earned him Player of the Week honors by the West Coast Conference for the week of Nov. 12. He started with 14 points and five rebounds in the loss to Samford, and then followed it with an even better performance in the win against Mississippi Valley State. The Longmont, Colo., native had 10 points and 10 rebounds at halftime to record his first collegiate double-double. He finished the game with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, 12 rebounds and two assists. His double-double makes him only the ninth freshman in LMU history to achieve such a feat. He becomes the quickest to ever earn a double-double, getting it in only his second game as a Lion. In addition, his double-digit effort is one of the best combinations by a freshman. His 12 rebounds ranks him in a tie for second all-time with Forrest McKenzie for rebounds in a game by a freshman. He was at it again against UC Irvine, scoring a career-high 18 points and adding 10 rebounds for his second double-double. His two in his young career at LMU ties him with Luther Philyaw for the most by a freshman in LMU history. Only nine have ever accomplished a double-double in their first year of college basketball at LMU, with Philyaw and Osborn the only two doing it twice. More on Osborn....He set his career-high with a quiet 19 points against Sacramento State. After 11 games, he leads the team with 5.9 rebounds per game and is second in scoring with 11.5 points per game. His 52.2 shooting percentage (48-of-92) is second on the team. He has also showed some range from the field, tied for second (Robert Davis) on the team with 10 three-pointers in 34 attempts (29.4 percent).

THE SIXTH MAN
Senior Robert Davis was asked to take the role of the Lions sixth-man six games ago against Texas A&M. Since taking that role, the Lions are 4-2 and Davis leads the team in those games with 13.2 points per game. His role off the bench has been enhanced by his experience, scoring in double figures in all six games. Davis is the only third-year Lion on the court. He began his career with LMU as a freshman 1998-99, playing in 26 of 28 games and averaging 7.1 points per game. After spending his sophomore season at Chandler Gilbert Community College in Arizona, he returned to the program in Head Coach Steve Aggers' first season. In his return, Davis became the Lions' leading scorer with a 11.9 average, giving him 517 points in his career at LMU. He had 19 games scoring 10 or more points, and with his nine as a freshman, he entered the 2001-02 season with 28 games scoring in double figures. His eight this season give him 36 in his career. Much of Davis' scoring has been from behind the arch, hitting 46 three-pointers in 2000-01. Davis finds himself sneaking into the all-time record books at LMU in made three-pointers. His 81 career three-pointers heading into the 2001-02 season was tied with Per Stumer for 10th all-time at LMU. His 10 in 2001-02 give him 91 in his career. The record of 363 by Jeff Fryer may never be touched, but Davis needs 15 to move into a four-way tie for seventh all-time with 106. Craig Holt (1991-92), Jim Williamson (1994-97) and Willie Allen (1995-99) all sit at 106.

CHARITY STRIPE
Giving LMU a free trip to the charity stripe has been a dangerous proposition for opponents this season. To date, the Lions as a team are on pace to become the best free throw shooting team in LMU history. The school record is 75.5 percent set by the 1968 team and after a 21-for-25 (84 percent) effort against USC, LMU is hitting 79.2 percent on the season. As of Dec. 27, the Lions were ranked second in the nation from the free throw line, just behind BYU who is hitting 79.7. During their three-game homestand from Dec. 5-15, the Lions attempted more than 20 free throws in all three contests. They finished the 70-68 loss to UNLV hitting 18-of-23 (78.3), their lowest during the homestand. They were an amazing 29-for-33 against UC Santa Barbara and 36-for-42 against Sacramento State, which set season highs for both attempts and free throws made. At home, the Lions are hitting 81.1 percent (142-of-175) from the charity stripe. Leading the Lions is senior Eurskine Robinson, who is tops in the West Coast Conference and is second in the nation hitting 33-of-35 attempts (94.3 percent). He is followed by senior Marcus Smith at 90 percent, senior Greg Lakey at 87.5 percent, freshman Charles Brown at 84.6 percent and sophomore Kent Dennis at 83.3 percent.

THE THREE Ws
With wins against Texas A&M, UC Santa Barbara and Sacramento State, the Lions earned their first three-game winning streak since 1998-99. During the three victories, the Lions put up some impressive numbers. Six players averaged more than 10 points, with senior Robert Davis leading the way with 13.3 points in the three wins. He was followed by Kent Dennis (12.7), Keith Kincade (11.3), Andy Osborn (11.0), Eurskine Robinson (10.7) and Greg Lakey (10.7). Further showing their balanced 'Team First' style, all 11 players in uniform scored and earned an assist in the winning streak. As a team they shot 50 percent from the field (81-for-162), 44 percent from the three-point line (18-for-41) and an amazing 88 percent from the free throw line (72-for-82). They outscored their opponents 84.0 to 75.0.

ROAD TOUGH
LMU went on the road to the Big 12 Conference for the second straight year, taking on Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. The Lions showed its toughness with an exciting 80-78 win over the Aggies on Dec. 2. The victory becomes the third win over teams that currently makeup the Big 12 and the first on the road. The last win came against Colorado, 80-71, in Gersten Pavilion in 1985. All-time the Lions are 3-11 against the Big 12, earning the other win in a neutral site game against Oklahoma in 1967.

THE HOT HAND
In the Lions 80-78 win over Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, LMU finished the game hitting 33-of-53 shots for a shooting percentage of 62.3 percent. It was the first time the Lions finished hitting more than 60 percent from the field since 1996 when they hit 30-of-49 (.612) in a 76-64 win over Cal Poly on Jan. 23. It was the highest shooting percentage since the Lions hit 44-of-65 for an amazing 67.6 percent in a 137-123 win over San Francisco on Feb. 9, 1990. There is more hot shooting for the Lions. They finished the win over the Aggies hitting an even better 63.6 (7-for-11) from the three-point line. It is the highest since the Lions hit 69.2 percent against UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 28, 1994.

KNOCKING OFF THE RUST
Sophomores Keith Kincade and Kent Dennis have been slowly knocking off the rust from the redshirt year they served last season after both transferred from West Virginia. First it was Kincade, the 6-6 forward who came off the bench to score 18 points against Idaho State. He would score 10 points in a 14-point run that erased a 9-0 deficit and turned it into a 14-9 lead. They never looked back to win, 67-56. Kincade has continued to improve, starting the last seven games. In the last six starts, he is averaging 10.0 points per game, has hit 24-of-28 from the free throw line (85.7 percent) with seven steals, a block and five assists. Dennis has hit his stride in the Lions last six games as well coming off the bench to score 18 against Sacramento State and 17 against UC Santa Barbara. He added nine against UNLV, Long Beach State and USC, showing deadly touch from outside. He is 14-for-24 from the three-point in the last six games, hitting 58.3 percent. On the season he leads the Lions with 17 three-pointers in 32 attempts (53.1 percent).

SENIOR CAPTAIN
Senior Eurskine Robinson continues to show why he is the captain of the Loyola Marymount University men's basketball team this season. Robinson helped the Lions to a three-game win streak for the first time since 1998-99 and their best start since 1995-96. The senior point guard has been efficient in all facets of the game for the Lions, guiding them to a 77-70 win over UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 5 and then a 95-77 victory over Sacramento State on Dec. 8. Against the Gauchos, who have been picked by many to win the Big West Conference title, Robinson had a career-high game, scoring a career best 18 points, grabbing eight rebounds, one shy of a career-high, and dishing out four assists to just one turnover in 28 minutes. In the win he was deadly from the charity stripe, hitting all 12 attempts. When the Gauchos cut the Lions' lead to just four points with 43 seconds remaining, Robinson would hit four consecutive free throws in a 13 second span to put the Lions up eight to seal the win. In addition, he was 75 percent from the field. Against Sacramento State, he would lead the Lions to their most lopsided win over a NCAA Division I opponent at home since a 23-point win over San Diego on Jan. 30, 1998. Robinson would finish perfect from the field and again perfect from the free throw line to finish with eight points. Again showing his efficiency running the offense, he would finish with six assists, equaling a career-high, a steal (his ninth on the season to lead the team) and just one turnover. For the week, he was a perfect 18-for-18 from the free throw line, improving him to 30-for-30 on the season and setting the LMU all-time school record for consecutive free throws with 35, which started against Portland on Feb. 17, 2001. He broke Terrell Lowery's record of 32 set in 1990. He was 80 percent from the field, had 10 assists to just a pair of turnovers, a steal, and averaged 13 points and four rebounds in two wins. Robinson would extend his free-throw streak to 36 against UNLV before missing on his second attempt. He finished 2-for-3 against the Runnin' Rebels.

REBOUNDING
The Lions have once again made their mark on the glass this season with one of the more dominating rebounding performances in school history. In game two of the Guardians Classic, a 74-65 win over Mississippi Valley State, the Lions out-rebounded the Delta Devils, 51-26. The rebound margin of +25 is the largest since the Lions out-rebounded Sonoma State by 26, 56-30, in the 1995-96 season opener on Nov. 24, 1995. Freshman Andy Osborn led the Lions with 12 in the win, and was joined by senior point guard Eurskine Robinson, who had a career-high nine rebounds. The Lions out-rebounded their opponents in 18 of 28 games in 2000-01 and they have out-rebounded six of their first 11 opponents this season, including a 32-31 advantage over UNLV and a 35-31 advantage over Long Beach State. Senior Greg Lakey had a season-high nine rebounds against both the 49ers and the Trojans. In the 95-77 win over Sacramento State, senior Robert Davis had a career-high 14 rebounds. Osborn, who had a career high 12 against Mississippi Valley State, leads the team with 5.9 bounds per game, followed by senior Greg Lakey with 5.8, sophomore Keith Kincade at 4.1 and senior Sean Mollins at 4.0.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Loyola Marymount University men's basketball team has been invited to the 2002 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout, as the University of Alaska Anchorage announced the eight-team field during its annual Tip-off Luncheon on Nov. 21. The 25th annual college basketball event is scheduled for Nov. 27-30 at Sullivan Arena and will include some of the top names in college basketball. Joining the Lions, who will make their first trip to Alaska, are host Alaska-Anchorage, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Northern Arizona, Oklahoma State, Villanova and Wyoming. The Lions will be the second straight representative from the West Coast Conference, as Gonzaga concluded the 2001 Shootout with a runner-up finish. The Bulldogs lost in the championship game to Marquette over the Thanksgiving weekend. "This is a great opportunity for our program," said Head Coach Steve Aggers. "For us to continue to improve our program, we have to attract the top players. To get the players, we have to play and compete against the best in the country. The Great Alaska Shootout does that for us."

TOURNEY EXPERIENCE
The Lions, who finished their first preseason exempt tournament since 1990-91 with a record of 1-1, are no strangers to preseason tournaments. The last appearance for the Lions in a preseason tournament was the Nike Festival in Honolulu, HI, in the 1995-96 season. The Lions defeated both Hawaii (82-80) and Nevada (75-67) that season. In the 1980s and early 1990s the Lions were a common sighting in preseason tournaments. Dating back to 1955-56 when the Lions began play in the West Coast Conference (then the West Coast Athletic Conference), LMU has appeared in 38 preseason tournaments (tournaments prior to Jan. 1 of that season and not including the WCAC Christmas Tournament). The Lions have posted a 30-48 record in preseason tournaments including the Guardians Classic.

THE PAVILION TURNS 20
The Lions' home opener on Nov. 17 against Idaho State was the beginning the 20th season of basketball at Gersten Pavilion. Opening on Jan. 15, 1981, the men's basketball team has set many records, including several national NCAA records. More memorable moments in Gersten's history include the Lions' 16-game winning streak from Feb. 28, 1987 through Nov. 28, 1988. Gersten is also the home of the all-time NCAA Division I highest scoring game, a 186-140 win by the Lions over US International on Jan. 5, 1991.

WCC TURNS 50
With the basketball season getting underway for West Coast Conference teams this weekend, the WCC celebrates its 50th anniversary. The league's current membership consists of eight private institutions (Gonzaga, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, Portland, Saint Mary's, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara) and has grown from just a men's basketball conference to now sponsoring 13 sports that compete on a national level. For five decades, the league has been driven by student-athletes with the common goal of academic excellence and athletic achievement. The league was founded in 1952 in an effort to create a convenient way for five Bay Area schools to play basketball. The five charter members, including Saint Mary's, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Pacific and San Jose State, joined together 50 years ago to form the California Basketball Association, beginning play on January 2, 1953. The league expanded in 1955 to include Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine and changed the conference name to the West Coast Athletic Conference in 1956. The name was shortened to West Coast Conference in 1989. The WCC has had 15 different schools as a part of its 50-year tradition, but the conference has stood proudly with the same eight member institutions since 1979. With the same membership for 22 years, the West Coast Conference is one of the most stable leagues in the nation, with only the Ivy League and Pac-10 retaining its membership for a longer period of time.

ON TELEVISION
This season the men's basketball team will make at least six appearances on television and that number could reach 10 by the end of the season. Fox Sports West just added the Lions game against Southern California on Dec. 22. The Lions will appear three other times on Fox Sports Net (FSN). In addition, ESPN Plus will televise the Lions game against UNLV on Dec. 15.

BRIGHT FUTURE
Loyola Marymount University men's basketball coach Steve Aggers announced the signing of four high school seniors to National Letters of Intent. John Haywood, Brandon Worthy, Chris Ayer and Wes Wardrop will don Lion uniforms during the 2002-2003 season. "This summer we set out to find three quality perimeter players and a true center," said Aggers, who is in his second season at the helm of the Lions. "To improve in the WCC, our staff felt getting bigger on the perimeter and having a true low post threat were critical elements for future success. These four young men meet our objectives and are high caliber students who will contribute to the LMU community for four years." John Haywood is a 6-6, 200-pound wing from Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, California. Averaging 14 points and seven rebounds as a junior, Haywood led his high school team to a 20-9 record and a quarter-final finish in last years CIF southern section playoffs. An All-Del Rey League performer, Haywood was also tabbed a pre-season Street and Smith's All American honorable mention selection. Haywood has participated in the Los Angeles Rockfish organization under the direction of Dave Benezra. Brandon Worthy, from San Jose, California is a 6-2, 195-pound guard. As a freshman at Archbishop Mitty High School he averaged 19.5 points earning CIF Central Section Freshman of the Year honors. In his sophomore campaign, Worthy improved to 21.5 points, 8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and three steals while leading his team to the CIF Central Section Championship and being named the CIF Central Section Sophomore of the Year. Both seasons his team won 17 games and he was named first-team all-league. Worthy sat out his junior season after transferring to Mount Pleasant High School in accordance with CIF rules. He was also ranked among the top 120 players nationally by SchoolSports.com. Measuring 6-11 and weighing 250-pounds, Chris Ayer comes to LMU from Flowing Wells High School in Tucson, Arizona. As a junior under Flowing Wells coach David Verdugo, Ayer averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocks per game. He has over 300 blocked shots in his high school career leading his team to 38 wins over the past two seasons, two Arizona state playoff appearances, one 5A south regional championship game and while receiving a nomination for the McDonald's All-American Team. He is ranked as one of the top 25 players in the western United States by PrepWestHoops.com, the #4 center in the West and one of the top two players in Arizona. Ayer is deciding between engineering and animation as a major. At 6-3, 195-pounds, Wes Wardrop is a native of Anaheim, California. He attended Loara High School prior to transferring to Worcester Academy in Massachusetts. Worcester competes in the "#1 ranked prep school basketball league in America" according to the Recruiters Handbook. Wardrop is a strong, physical guard who averaged 15 points, 5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 3 steals as a junior. Worcester went 17-7 last season with Wardrop voted one of 15 All-New England team selections. ESPN.com and RecruitingUSA.com both ranked Wardrop as one of the top 100 high school seniors nationally after this July's evaluation period. In the off-season he plays for Dave Benezra's Los Angeles Rockfish organization with John Haywood.

Game Capsules

GAME #1 - Samford 72, LMU 60
An offensive clinic broke out, as the Loyola Marymount University men's basketball team fell to Samford University and their hot shooting, 72-60 in the first day of the Guardian's Classic at the University of Alabama Tuesday night. It wasn't quite the season opener the Lions (0-1) were hoping for as Samford (0-1) hit 62 percent from the field and 54 percent from the three-point line to streak to a 41-26 halftime lead. The effective offensive system of the Bulldogs, taking as much as 30 seconds on the shot clock, wore the Lions down in the second half. Samford finished the game hitting 56 percent from the field (28-50) and 44 percent from the three-point line (11-25). The Lions also finished 44 percent from the three-point line (6-11), and 49 percent from the field. "Samford played extremely well. They earned our respect tonight," said Head Coach Steve Aggers, who falls to 1-1 in season openers in his two years at LMU. "They are a very well coached basketball team, and they executed their offense better that we did." The Lions themselves hit 46 percent of their shots in the first half, but were victim to seven-of-13 three-pointers in the first half, including a four-of-four effort by Samford's Jon Mills. He led all scorers at the half with 14. The Lions defense clamped down on Mills, as he went scoreless in the second half. Freshman Andy Osborn led the Lions at the half with seven points and finished with 14, tied for the game-high with Mills. Osborn added five rebounds and a steal in his LMU debut. He was two-of-three from the three-point line and was five-for-seven from the field. The Lions would out-score Samford in the second half, 34-31 but never got closer than the final margin, 12. "We gave up way too many easy baskets. They are very hard to defend and they ran their offense in mid-season form," said Aggers. "School was in session." Only two players finished in double figures for Samford, Mills and Chris Weaver. Meanwhile, four Lions finished in double digits, including Greg Lakey with 12, Marcus Smith and Robert Davis with 10. Davis, Smith and Osborn would give the Lions their first lead with three consecutive three-pointers at 9-6. They would lead again at 13-11 after a pair of free throws by Osborn. That was the Lions final lead of the game, as Samford took a 15-15 tie and turned it into a 29-19 lead thanks to five three-pointers and a lay-up in a four-minute stretch.

GAME #2 - LMU 74, Miss. Valley St. 65
Loyola Marymount University rebounded with force in the second round of the Guardians Classic with a 74-65 win over Mississippi Valley State in Tuscaloosa, AL. The Lions out-rebounded Mississippi Valley State (0-2) 51-26 and shot 48 percent from the field to finish 1-1 in the inaugural Guardians Classic held at the University of Alabama. "I am very proud of our basketball team in the way we bounced back from last night," said Head Coach Steve Aggers, whose team lost to Samford 72-60 in the first day of the Classic. "I thought we controlled the game and out-rebounding them by 25 was a difference in the game." On the boards the Lions were led by freshman Andy Osborn with 12 rebounds, eight defensive. The Longmont, Colo., native added 15 points and in his first two games as a Lion is averaging 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. "Andy had a great game for us tonight," said Aggers. "He is improving daily and will have a great career here at LMU. Marcus (Smith) shot the ball really well and our offense got him good looks at the basket. It was a great team effort tonight." The Lions jumped out to a 35-27 lead at halftime thanks to Osborn's 10 points and 10 rebounds, giving him his first double-double of his young career at LMU. His performance is only the third freshman to earn a double-double in program history, joining Forrest McKenzie (1981-82) and Luther Philyaw (1972-73), and his 12 rebounds is tied with McKenzie for second all-time by a freshman. Sophomore Kent Dennis would hit three three-pointers in the first half and finish with 13 off the bench to help LMU extend the lead to 20 halfway through the second half. The second half lead was padded by the hot shooting of the senior Smith, who had 14 of his game-high 18 in the second half. In addition, point guard Eurskine Robinson earned the start and had four points and nine rebounds. However, the Delta Devils would cut the lead to seven points (71-64) with 57 seconds remaining in the game on Ashley Robinson's fourth three-pointer of the game. Robinson would finish with a team-high 16. "We controlled the game, but in then late I thought we had some brain cramps and weren't very smart with the ball," said Aggers. "We've got to learn from silly mistakes and we'll be a better team down the road. It was good to get a win on the road." The win breaks a six-game neutral court losing streak for the Lions. The Lions defense, after Samford hit 54 percent last night, clamped down to limit the Delta Devils to 34 percent from the field. In addition, D'Jamel Jackson, who scored 32 against Alabama, was held to 4-for-18 from the field for 11 points.

GAME #3 - LMU 67, Idaho State 56
Sophomore forward Keith Kincade established career highs with 18 points and six rebounds as host Loyola Marymount defeated Idaho State 67-56 in a non-conference game Saturday afternoon. The Lions improve to 2-0 in home openers under second year Head Coach Steve Aggers. The Lions improved their record to 2-1 for the first time since the 1996-97 season. "It is nice to come home to get a good win," said Head Coach Steve Aggers. "We hung in there and the seniors stepped it up and showed some leadership today." Idaho State came out firing, taking a 9-0 lead at the 16:36 mark of the first half. However, the Lions would score the next 14 points thanks the hot shooting of Kincade, who scored 10 consecutive points. The Lions led 32-25 at halftime and extended the lead to 44-28 on freshman Andy Osborn's lay-up with 13:13 remaining. The Bengals responded with a 10-0 run, capped by Jeremy Brown's three-point basket, to cut the deficit to 44-38 with 8:52 left. Brown's follow-up dunk cut the LMU lead to 55-49 with 4:16 remaining, but the Lions used a 6-0 run and held the Bengals scoreless for the next 3:43 to pull away. Senior Greg Lakey scored 16 points and had a team-high seven rebounds, and senior Eurskine Robinson added 10 points for the Lions, many coming down the stretch at the free throw line. "Eurskine showed senior leadership, and is the type of player that wants the ball down the stretch," said Aggers. "We have to have him on the floor. He is very valuable because he hit his free throws to close the game." Robinson finished six-fox-six from the free throw line. D'Marr Suggs equalled his career-high with 24 points for the Bengals.

GAME #4 - CSF 84, LMU 70
The Loyola Marymount University basketball team played their first true road game of the season and came way with a hard lesson in a 84-70 loss at Titan Gym on Saturday night. After LMU scored the first basket of the second half, Cal State Fullerton (1-2) went on a 17-5 run in the next six minutes to take a 21-point lead and the Lions could not recover in a hostile environment. A lay-up 13:47 by Keith Kincade broke a four-minute drought by the Lions. Fullerton, who lost their first two games against West Coast Conference opponents San Francisco and Pepperdine by an average of 22 points, would actually increase the lead to 25 as the Lions shot a season low 30 percent in the second half. The Titans out-rebounded the Lions 36-28 and created 15 LMU turnovers. Of the 36 rebounds by the Titans, 14 were offensive that led to 26 second chance points. Leading the way was Fullerton's Brandon Campbell, who had 18 points and eight rebounds, including six offensive rebounds. Leading the Lions was senior Greg Lakey with 16 points on seven-of-nine shooting. Freshman Andy Osborn added 10 and senior Marcus Smith had 10. Cal State Fullerton took an ugly 35-29 lead into half. The Lions couldn't get into rhythm, gathering 10 team fouls, including a quick two by Osborn who only played one minute in the first half. The Lions finished with a season high 23 team fouls, including foul outs by sophomore Sherman Gay and Lakey. The Lions led for most of the half until the Titans took the lead with 2:10 remaining on David Castleton's three-pointer coming off the bench. They extended the lead 33-27 on another three-pointer by Ryan Dillon, one of a pair in the first frame. Smith would cut the lead to four with a pair of free throws. He led all scorers with 10 at the half, and finished at that mark going scoreless in the second. However, the Titans would get the final six points of the half with a put back by Josh Fischer, one of a team high eight points on the half for the six-point lead. Fischer had a career-high 14 points.

GAME #5 - UC Irvine 71, LMU 59
Loyola Marymount University fell to UC Irvine 71-59 and the one man show of Anteater senior guard Jerry Green, who scored a game-high 36 points at Gersten Pavilion on Wednesday night. "Tonight was the Jerry Green show," said LMU Head Coach Steve Aggers. "He is a very good basketball player that is very smart and experienced. We did a good job as a team defensively tonight and shut everyone else down, but we couldn't stop Green." The Lions (2-3) were paced by freshman Andy Osborn, who scored a career-high 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, his second double-double of the season and his career. He ties Luther Philyaw for double-doubles in a season by a freshman. Green had 19 points at halftime to power the Anteaters (4-2) to a 39-21 lead. The Lions, who played solid defense and with even better intensity, were the victim of their worst shooting game of the season, hitting only 25 percent in the first half and just 27 percent for the game. "We played well defensively, but we just didn't hit our shots tonight," said Aggers. "We had the right guy shooting the ball, we just couldn't get the shooters to hit their shots. We have to shoot better if we are going to win." Despite a 18-point deficit at half, the Lions scrapped and clawed their way back, trailing by only 10 with two minutes remaining and with possession of the ball. "I am very proud of how we came back and the end," said Aggers. "We will continue to learn and get better." Trailing 66-49 with 4:39 left, the Lions would go on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 10. Senior Marcus Smith hit a pair of free throws and freshman Charles Brown hit a lay-up to score two of his career-high 11 points to cut the lead to 66-53 with 2:59 remaining. Osborn would hit a three-pointer at 2:37 to get the Lions to within 10. Neither team would score against until Green hit a pair of free throws with :41 remaining. Also scoring in double figures was Keith Kincade with 13 points. He added a career-high seven rebounds.

GAME #6 - LMU 80, Texas A&M 78
Playing its most complete game of the season, the Loyola Marymount University men's basketball team came to College Station, Texas, and the home of the Big 12's Texas A&M and ended the Aggies hopes for the their best start in 20 years with an impressive 80-78 win on Sunday afternoon. It was back-and-forth the entire way as the Lions' Greg Lakey hit a lay-up on a lob pass from Marcus Smith with 57 seconds remaining to give the Lions a 78-77 lead. Eurskine Robinson would then hit an eight-footer with five seconds remaining to seal the win. The Lions improve to 3-3 on the season and the Aggies fall to 4-1. "I am really proud of the way our kids responded and played this afternoon," said Head Coach Steve Aggers. "To date this was our best effort of the season. Anywhere in the country you shoot over 60 percent you have a great chance to win." The Lions finished the game shooting 62 percent (33-for-53). Senior Robert Davis, who had only three points at half, was hot in the second period and finished the game with 14 points. He gave the Lions a 74-71 lead with a pair of free throws with 3:39 remaining in the game. The Lions finished seven-for-seven for the charity stripe. The Lions would take a 76-75 on Lakey's five-footer with 1:55 remaining. The senior, who struggled in the first half going one-for-four from the field, would finish with 12 points. The Aggies wouldn't go away, taking a 77-76 lead when Nick Anderson hit two of his game-high 18 at the 1:14 mark. Just under 20 seconds later Lakey would put the Lions up for good. However, the Aggies had a chance to tie the game when Smith fouled the Aggies All-American candidate, Bernard King, on a three-point attempt. The Aggies leading scorer would only hit one of his three attempts and the Lions' Andy Osborn grabbed the rebound. King, who averages 21 points per game, was held to just 18 and went a mere 5-for-11 from the field. "Marcus definitely fouled King, who is a great player," said Aggers. "I was thankful he missed a couple of his foul shots. This was a great confidence boost for our team." Playing in their best half of the season, the Lions opened with a 45-44 halftime lead thanks to 60 percent shooting from the field (17-for-28). They were even hotter from long distance, going 6-for-8 (75 percent) as six different players hit a three. They would finish the game going 7-for-11 (64 percent) from long distance. Leading the way was sophomore Keith Kincade, who had 13 points in the first half and a team-high 15 for the game. Both Smith and freshman Charles Brown would have seven of their nine points in the opening half. It was a team effort for the Lions as 10 of the 11 in uniform scored in the game. In addition they created 18 Aggie turnovers and had a season high 11 steals. In addition, they had a season high 24 assists. Both Brown and Robinson had five, a career-high for the freshman.

GAME #7 - LMU 77, UC Santa Barbara 70
For the second straight game the Loyola Marymount University men's basketball team took care of business by defeating a team with a winning percentage better than .750, taking a 77-70 victory against UC Santa Barbara at Gersten Pavilion Wednesday night in front of 1,791. The Lions, who improve to 4-3 on the season, never trailed in the second half and shot 88 percent from the free throw line to drop UC Santa Barbara to 4-2 on the season. "It was important for our program to have a solid home win. I am really proud of how our team battled tonight," said Head Coach Steve Aggers. "Our team followed the game plan and played exceptional team defense. We held a great shooting team under 40 percent. Anytime you do that, you give yourself a great chance to win." The Lions bench was again the key, as they doubled their opponent's scoring off the bench for the second straight game. The Lions bench of sophomore Kent Dennis, who scored a career-high 17 points, senior Robert Davis, a season-high 16, sophomore Sherman Gay, with a season-high six and senior Sean Mollins with two points, combined to score 41 points off the bench. The Gauchos bench combined to score just 14. "Overall it was a good win. It was a total team effort and we again had good balance scoring," said Aggers, whose bench outscored Texas A&M on Sunday, 33-17. For the second straight game the Lions broke out to a halftime lead, this time 37-26. However, both teams failed to take control from opening tip. The Lions started the game 0-for-7 from the field, but finished the half strong, hitting 40 percent (13-for-32). The Gauchos started even worse, hitting 1-for-13 to start the game and finished the half hitting 33 percent (10-for-30). The Guachos slowly chipped away at the Lions lead that got as high as 15. The Gauchos cut it to just four points with 43 seconds left on a lay-up by B.J. Ward. Mark Hull was a key in the Guachos come back, scoring 27 for the game. However, the Lions' free throw shooting secured the win down the stretch. Senior point guard Eurskine Robinson finished 12-for-12 from the free throw line and stays perfect on the season, hitting 24-for-24 on the season. Robinson finished with a career-high 18 to lead the Lions, adding eight rebounds and four assists. As a team the Lions were a deadly 29-for-33 from the charity stripe. "Steve has done a great job with this team and they came prepared to play," said UCSB Head Coach Bob Williams. "They put us in the position we had to extend the game and we wanted to foul to get back into it. It didn't work. They hit their free throws." On the season the Lions are 102-for-129 from the charity stripe, a percentage of .790.

GAME #8 - LMU 95, Sacramento St. 77
The Loyola Marymount University (LMU) men's basketball team defeated Sacramento State 95-77 for its third-consecutive victory on Saturday night at Gersten Pavilion. It is the Lions first three-game win streak since the 1998-99 season. With the victory the Lions improve to 5-3 on the season, its best start since 1995-96 when they started 8-1. Sacramento State falls to 3-5. "I am very happy with our team's performance tonight. It has been a while since this program has won three straight," said Head Coach Steve Aggers, who is in his second year with the Lions. "I am very proud of this team as we continue to improve our 'program' here at LMU." The Lions offensive attack was once again about balance, as five players scored in double figures, many setting career marks in the process. Freshman Andy Osborn, who sat a good portion of the second half due to foul trouble, led the Lions with 19 points, a career-high. Coming off the bench with another solid outing was sophomore Kent Dennis who had 14 of his career-high 18 points in the first half. In the first half his 4-for-5 effort from the three-point line that erased a six-point Hornet lead. Dennis' back-to-back three pointers with eight minutes remaining in the first half gave the Lions a 27-23 lead that they never relinquished. "Sacramento State is a very scrappy team and hard to match-up. Kent came off the bench and provided us a spark that we needed," said Aggers. "In the second half the spark came from Robert (Davis), who really came in a showed senior leadership and his dunk in the second half really got the crowd in the game." Davis finished with a career-high 14 rebounds and finished the night with his first double-double scoring 10 points. Also scoring in double figures was sophomore Keith Kincade, who scored 16 points and tied a career-high with seven rebounds. Also scoring 16 was senior Greg Lakey, who asserted himself despite foul trouble in the second half. He was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. Due to the match-up problems, the Lions piled up the fouls, racking up a season-high 26. However, Sacramento State had 31 team fouls that played right into the hands of the Lions, who as a team hit 79.1 percent from the free throw line. The Lions were up to the task, hitting better than 85 percent from the charity stripe for the second straight game. The Lions were 36-for-42 from the free throw line, 85.7 percent. On the season, the Lions are 138-for-171 (80.7 percent). Senior Eurskine Robinson remained perfect with a 6-for-6 effort, bringing him to 30-for-30 on the season. Dating back to Feb. 17, 2001 against Portland Robinson has now hit 35 consecutive free throws, a new LMU record. He broke Terrell Lowery's mark of 32 he set in 1990.

GAME #9 - UNLV 70, LMU 68
The Loyola Marymount University (LMU) men's basketball team saw their three-game winning streak come to an end as sophomore Kent Dennis' three-pointer rimed out and senior Greg Lakey's put back was just off at the buzzer in a 70-68 thriller at Gersten Pavilion on Saturday night in front of 2,280. The Lions (5-4) built a 41-25 lead at the half thanks to sophomore Sherman Gay's three-pointer from half-court at the buzzer. However, UNLV stepped up its defensive pressure and finished with 16 steals compared to only one for the Lions. The Rebels (4-3), who earned their first win on the road in three tries, forced LMU into 16 second half turnovers. The Lions finished with a season high 24 in the game. "It was a whale of a game," said Head Coach Steve Aggers. "It was a very tough loss. The ball was in the hand of the right guy (Kent) and he had a good look at the basket, but it didn't fall. We have improved a lot and I am very proud of how our team played tonight. We learned a lot and now we have to focus on Tuesday." The Rebels, who were led by Dalron Johnson with 23 points, chipped away at the Lions lead and took their first advantage of the second half, 51-50, with a three-pointer by Lou Kelly at the 11:07 mark. The Rebels would get the lead to four on a bucket by Marcus Banks. The Lions, however, would take a 57-55 lead again on a three-pointer by senior Robert Davis, who finished with 18 to lead the Lions of the bench, and a three-pointer by Dennis at 8:46 to play. It would go back-and-fourth the remainder of the half with UNLV taking a five-point lead with three minutes to play, 68-63. Back would come the Lions, getting another three-pointer by Dennis, who finished with nine points, and a lay-up by Davis to tie the score at 68 with 46 seconds remaining. Banks would split the Lions defense with 19 seconds remaining for a lay-up to give the Rebels the lead for good. "The goal of this team is to learn and get better," said Aggers. "We did that tonight. A lot of our young players had the opportunity to play valuable minutes in crucial moments of the game. This was a good experience for us and we will grow from it." Lakey finished with 15 for the Lions and sophomore Keith Kincade added 10.

GAME #10 - LMU 76, Long Beach St. 68
After losing a 16-point lead over UNLV on December 15, the Loyola Marymount (LMU) men's basketball team showed mental toughness and recovered with a 76-68 win on the road against Long Beach State at the Pyramid on Tuesday night. Once again it was the Lions (6-4) bench that was the difference, as they came in to score 26 of the Lions 33 first half points, recovering from a sluggish start that saw Long Beach State (3-7) run out to the 22-15 lead with 8:24 in the first half. Two free throws by senior Greg Lakey at 4:59 mark gave the Lions the lead for good 26-25. The Lions would go on a 9-2 run to close out the half and lead 33-26. "I am really proud of how we played as a team tonight," said Head Coach Steve Aggers, whose Lions won for only the third time against the 49ers in 17 tries. It was the Lions first win ever in Long Beach and their first since 1986. "It was a big road win for our program. Once again our bench was a key. We came out a little rusty but our bench came in a did a great job." The Lions bench has outscored its opponent in six of its 10 games, including the 39-22 advantage against the 49ers. The bench would again take a role in the Lions coming out in the second half on a 19-8 run to take a 17 point lead, 59-42. Sherman Gay, Sean Mollins and Robert Davis would all finish with 10 points coming off the bench. The senior Lakey, who would led five Lions in double figures with 12 points, scored 10 points in the final frame, including back-to-back lay-ups that put the Lions up 11 with 17 minutes remaining in the game. Lakey would add nine rebounds. Freshman Andy Osborn would score nine of his 11 points in the second half after only playing three minutes in the first half due to a pair of quick fouls. LMU began to press in the second half, which created 18 turnovers by the 49ers on 11 steals. Nine of the Lions 11 players earned a steal, including Osborn's two and point guard Eurskine Robinson's two. In addition to the steals, the Lions would finish with 21 assists on the game, including four from Osborn and Lakey. "We did a good job with our presses tonight," said Aggers. "We really disrupted their offensive flow and kept them from setting up their half court offense. They are a very good team when they setup their offense." The Lions defense would setup their offense, as they shot 62 percent (18-of-28) in the second half and 54 percent (30-of-56) for the game. It is the second straight game the Lions shot over 50 percent as they lead the conference in shooting with a field goal percentage over 47 percent.

GAME #11 - USC 81, LMU 67
The Loyola Marymount University (LMU) men's basketball team built a 15-point second half lead against the USC Trojans, who advanced to the Elite Eight a year ago, but could not hold on down the stretch as the Trojans earned the victory 81-67 at Gersten Pavilion in front of 3,158 Saturday night. The first basket of the season by junior Miroslav Neskovic with 15:52 remaining in the game put the Lions (6-5) up 49-34. However, the Trojans (8-2) would score 15 consecutive points to tie the game at 49. LMU's Eurskine Robinson would hit a three-pointer at 10:43 to give the Lions a 52-49 lead, their last of the game. A lay-up by senior Sam Clancy, who had a game-high 19 points and 14 rebounds, and free throws by Errick Craven and Desmon Farmer would put the Trojans up for good, 54-52 with 9:03 remaining. "I was proud of the way our team played in the first half," said Head Coach Steve Aggers, whose Lions led 39-30 at halftime. "However, I was disappointed with the way we handled their defensive pressure and turned the ball over in the second half. USC's defensive tempo took us out of our offensive execution." Turnovers were again a second half trouble spot for the Lions, who committed 16 in the second half in the loss to UNLV in which they had a 16-point lead. Against the Trojans the Lions committed 15 second half turnovers to finish with 22 for the game. "Turnovers were the difference in tonight's game," said Aggers. "You cannot turn the ball over 22 times and expect to win. Give credit to USC. They are very quick and athletic. But if we are going to win in conference, we have to learn to handle that pressure." For the first time all season the Lions failed to have three players in double figures, as Greg Lakey had a solid game against his former teammates, scoring 14 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Lakey played two seasons at USC before transferring in 1999-00. Senior Robert Davis would finish with 11. Kent Dennis and Keith Kincade finished one short of double digits with nine each. The Trojans finished with five players in double figures. Joining Clancy was Farmer with 15, David Bluthenthal with 13, Craven with 12 and Robert Hutchinson with 10. "We did a good job on Clancy in the first half," said Aggers, whose defense held Clancy to four first half points. "However, he is an All-American and showed why in the second half. Their wings did a great job in pushing the ball and opening it up to get the ball inside."