Dec. 19, 2003

Box Score

Los Angeles, CA (Dec. 19) - In a game that featured six ties and 12 lead changes, the Loyola Marymount University men's basketball team could not hang-on to its first half lead as they fall to unbeaten Virginia, 76-68, in a non-conference showdown at Gersten Pavilion on Friday night.

Senior Sherman Gay led the Lions (6-3) with his third straight 20-point game, netting 21 points with seven rebounds and three blocks. Gay's three blocks give him 100 in his career and make him the all-time career leader in blocks. Derrick Byars and Elton Brown also scored 21 for the Cavaliers (7-0).

"This ball game was lost on the glass and in the first three minutes of the second half," said Head Coach Steve Aggers. "Virginia came out more intense than we did in the first three minutes of the second half and it set the tempo for the remainder of the game."

After scoring the games first nine points to take a 9-0 lead on a three-pointer by Byars with less than three minutes into the game, the Lions went on a 17-7 run to take a 17-16 lead on a lay-up by sophomore Chris Ayer. It was the first time all season the Cavaliers have trailed.

The Cavaliers would take a 29-27 lead on a Devin Smith lay-up with 4:17 in the half. LMU then went on a 12-1 run to take a nine-point edge, 39-30 on a lay-up by Gay. Virginia would score the final five points of the half to build the momentum for the second 20 minutes.

As they did at the start of the game, Virginia scored the second half's first six points, capped by a dunk from Smith to take a 41-39 lead. The lead would change hands six more times in the second as senior Keith Kincade hit a three-pointer with 11:52 remaining to give LMU a 51-50 lead. Kincade finished with 13 points and eight rebounds.

Virginia would answer on a lay-up by Byars to take the lead for good.

"Byars really hurt us tonight," said Aggers. "In addition, Elton Brown is a load to guard. Their front line guys were a little tougher than ours tonight. Their athleticism was an issue for us and you have to credit their defense down the stretch."

LMU finished the game shooting 38 percent, only 35 percent in the second half. Virginia hit on 56 percent of its shots in the second frame to finish 44 percent for the game.

"When you play better opponents you find out a lot about your team," said Aggers. "This game will make us better for the West Coast Conference and we have to get ready for Long Beach State."

With the one-point lead, Virginia would complete a 18-3 run over a span of five minutes to pull away in the tight contest, taking a 67-54 lead with 6:33 remaining. Kincade would snap the run on a jumper.

The Lions, who erased double-digit deficits in the last two games, could not recover this time. Sophomore John Haywood's three-pointer with 18 seconds remaining cut the lead to 75-68 to cut the lead to seven. Haywood finished with nine points.

LMU will travel to Long Beach State on Dec. 23 for a 7:35 p.m. start.