Jan. 17, 2003

Final Stats

Los Angeles, CA (Jan. 17) - The University of San Diego used a 16-0 run early in the first half and held on to post a 82-68 win over Loyola Marymount University in West Coast Conference action at Gersten Pavilion Friday night.

The Toreros hit 11 of their first 12 shots to take a 26-10 lead with 11:11 remaining in the first half. They kept the Lions at arms length the remainder of the way to snap a five-game skid and improve to 7-8 on the season and 1-1 in the WCC. The Lions's record falls to 6-12 overall and 0-3 in the WCC.

"We had a horrendous start to the first half and struggled," said Head Coach Steve Aggers. "We turned the ball over too much for this time of the year. We have to clean up our mistakes." The Lions finished with 18 turnovers to San Diego's 17.

The tandem of seniors Jason Blair and Jason Keep led San Diego. The pair combined for 71 percent of the team's points, as Blair finished with a game-high 31 points and 14 rebounds. Keep added 27 points. Blair has averaged more than 29 points and 12 rebounds in the last three games against the Lions.

Junior Sherman Gay had a career-high 17 points, a career-high six blocks and added nine rebounds to lead the Lions. Freshman Brandon Worthy added 14 points and junior Keith Kincade had 10.

"Jason Blair and Jason Keep did it all tonight," said Aggers. "We had no answer for them. Keep played like a man and our freshman, Chris Ayer, learned a lot playing him tonight." The true freshman Ayer earned his second start of his young career and finished with six points and seven rebounds in nine minutes. He fouled out early in the second half.

San Diego would grow the lead to as many as 21 before LMU would stage a come back. The Lions would try to recover in the second half as freshman Wes Wardop would cut the lead to 11 with 8:32 remaining when he hit a three-pointer to make the score 68-57. San Diego would answer when Matt Delzell hit a three-pointer from NBA range to make it 71-59.

The Lions' full-court press kept them in it as Worthy's reverse lay-in with 3:35 cut the lead to 73-63. However, Keep returned to floor after leaving for a bloodied nose and hit a lay-in and was fouled. He missed the free throw with 3:20 to make it 75-63.

"I was pleased with how hard we played in the second half," said Aggers. "We did a good job on the press and did better rebounding the ball."

LMU would get to within 10 once again at 78-68 when Gay hit two free throws with 1:40 remaining. LMU couldn't cut the lead to single digits as San Diego finished hitting 57 percent (31-of-54) from the field, including Keep's 12-of-13.

The Lions will take on Santa Clara, who lost to Pepperdine 74-69, on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.