Feb. 28, 2003

Final Stats

Los Angeles, CA (Feb. 28) - Trailing by five at the half, the Loyola Marymount University men's basketball team would eventually tie the game against the University of San Francisco with less than eight minutes left. However, San Francisco would hit key shots in the final seconds to earn a 75-69 win in West Coast Conference action Saturday night in Gersten Pavilion in front of 1,766 fans.

Don's senior Darrell Tucker took over the game in the final minutes, hitting a pair of three-point plays to finish with 29 points and eight rebounds. Three Lions would score a dozen to lead the Lions. USF improves to 13-13 on the year and 8-5 in the WCC, while the Lions fall to 10-18 overall and 4-9 in the conference.

The Lions will play for fifth place when they take on Saint Mary's, Saturday night. The Gaels lost to Pepperdine 72-67 on Friday and remain one game a head of the Lions with a conference record of 5-8. The Lions hold the tiebreaker on the Gaels thanks to their win over Gonzaga.

Sophomore Charles Brown finished with 12 points and a career-high nine assists. Also with 12 points were junior Sherman Gay and sophomore Andy Osborn. Also in double figures for the Dons was James Bayless with 12, while Shamell Stallworth and John Cox with 10 each.

"Tonight was a typical conference game with two teams going head-to-head for 40 minutes," said Head Coach Steve Aggers. "I am proud of our effort tonight. We did a good job defensively." The Lions limited the Dons to four three-pointers, compared to the 14 they allowed in their first meeting."

San Francisco would take a 35-30 lead at the half. They would stretch the lead to eight, their biggest lead of the game, when Tucker hit one of two free throws to make it 48-40 with 13:58 remaining.

However, the Lions would not go away. LMU would chip away at the lead and freshman John Haywood would hit four straight free throws to finally tie the game at 56-56 with 7:35 remaining.

Both teams would trade baskets before USF would take a 64-60 lead with 1:52 remaining when Tucker capped a three-point play.

Osborn would hit a three-pointer for LMU with 1:46 remaining to cut the lead to 64-63. After a USF timeout, Cox would hit a running-jumper to make the lead 66-63 with 1:20 on the clock. Gay would hit a lay-in to make it 66-65 with 59 seconds remaining.

Once again, Tucker would hurt the Lions with another three-point play, making the score 69-65 with 44 ticks remaining. After Brown missed a three-pointer for LMU, the Dons Stallworth would hit two free throws with 33 remaining to make it 71-65. The Lions would get no closer.

"Tucker in the second half was the difference," said Aggers. "He made the plays when his team needed him. We had the game tied in the final minute and he was the difference. His three-point play in the final seconds was the killer."

The Dons finished the game hitting 53 percent from the field while holding the Lions to 45 percent.

"They are a very good defensive team," said Aggers. "We missed quite a few shots in the paint that you have to credit their defense."

- GO LIONS -