Nov. 18, 2004

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

BRIEFLY
The Loyola Marymount University men's basketball team will start the 2004-05 regular season when they host Monmouth at Gersten Pavilion on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 2:05 p.m. The Lions will open the season with 11 returning players from last season's squad that posted the best record since 1995-96. It will be the first meeting between LMU and Monmouth and the game can be heard on KXLU 88.9 FM.

FOR OPENERS
This will mark the third consecutive season that LMU will open their season at home. Enter his fifth season as head coach of the Lions, Aggers is 3-1 in season openers and 4-0 in home openers during his tenure. The meeting against Monmouth, a team that went to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in school history a year ago, is the first season-opener against a NCAA tournament team since the Lions opened the season against UCLA on Nov. 27, 1993. All-time, LMU is 32-17 in season openers since it joined the West Coast Conference in 1955-56.

A LOOK AT GAME #1
This will be the first meeting between Loyola Marymount and Monmouth and just the second time the Lions will take on an opponent from the Northeast Conference. The Hawks finished the 2003-04 season with a 21-12 overall record and a share of their first-ever NEC regular season title with a 12-6 mark. Monmouth went on to win the NEC Tournament tile to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in school history. This is Monmouth's first trip to California since 1997 when they lost the San Francisco 85-36 and Samford 57-51 at the MetLife Classic. Monmouth is led by senior forward Blake Hamilton and senior guard Dwayne Byfield. The two led the Hawks in scoring with 16.3 and 12.3 points per game, respectively a year ago. Both seniors are within range of getting 1,000 career points at Monmouth, Byfield is just 25 and Hamilton is just 38 off the pace. As for taking on the NEC, the Lions faced their first NEC opponent a year ago when the played Central Connecticut State in the Mohegan Sun Classic, which is hosted by CCSU. The Lions earned a 58-57 come-from-behind win to claim the tournament title.

SNEAK PEAK
In their only exhibition game, the Loyola Marymount University men's basketball team gave fans a sneak peak to the 2004-05 season when they took on Monterrey (Mexico) Tech on Friday, Nov. 12. The Lions left little doubt as they posted a 40-point lead at the half and cruised to a 97-37 victory at Gersten Pavilion. The Lions went 20-for-33 from the field in the first frame while allowing Monterrey Tech to just six made field goals for a 54-14 lead. LMU controlled the game from start to finish as they jumped to an 11-0 lead and never looked back. LMU outrebounded Monterrey Tech 43-26, held a 22-5 edge in assists, a 9-5 edge in steals and a 6-2 edge in blocks. In addition, the Lions went 17-for-17 from the free throw line (the all-time record is 16-for-16 set against Gonzaga on 3/2/02). On defense the Lions were equal to the task, holding Monterrey to 28 percent from the field with no player in double figures.

INDIVIDUALLY
The Lions had six players in double figures and finished shooting 54.5 percent from the field in the win over Monterrey Tech. Sophomore Matthew Knight had 18 points and seven rebounds to lead all scorers. Dustin Brown added 12, while Adoyah Evans-Miller, Wes Wardrop, Jon Ziri and Chris Ayer all added 10 points.

GAME NOTES FROM EXHIBITION
• It was the first live action in an LMU uniform for four Lions and the first in over a year for two others. Daryl Pegram, Adoyah Evans-Miller, Jon Ziri and Vitor Boccardo made their exhibition debut for the Lions, while Brandon Worthy and John Haywood saw their first action in a year after suffering season ending injuries a year ago.
• In building a 28-6 lead, the Lions went 4-for-4 from the three-point line in the first nine minutes of the game. In that stretch the Lions shot 67 (10-for-15) from the field while allowing Monterrey Tech to attempt just seven shots, hitting only two. • Chris Ayer led the Lions with four blocks, Adoyah Evans-Miller was the team-leader in assists with five.
• In going 17-for-17 from the charity stripe in the only exhibition game, the Lions would have set the all-time record. More impressive was that seven different Lions went to the free throw line. Matthew Knight went 4-for-4 and Jon Ziri went 3-for-3 while Brandon Worthy, Adoyah Evans-Miller, Chris Ayer, Dustin Brown and Vitor Boccardo went 2-for-2.

CHARTING HISTORY
The 2004-05 season could be a historical one for the only senior on the Lions' roster, Charles Brown. The Hercules, Calif., native enters the 2004-05 season appearing in 89 career games as a Lion. He is looking to become just the 17th player in 90-plus years of LMU basketball to appear in more than 100 games in a Lion uniform. With the longevity, Brown is also climbing into the career record books. He could become just the fifth player in school history score 1,000 career points and earn 400 or more assists. He enters the season with 783 career points and 310 assists. Last season he had 334 points and 111 assists. He would join an elite list of Terrell Lowery (1988-92), Keith Smith (1982-86), Enoch Simmons (1985-89) and Jim Williamson. There have been 26 players in LMU history to score at least 1,000 career points. Brown is currently seventh all-time with 310 assists and seventh with 139 career steals.

UNDER 60
Defense has become the Lions' trademark under Head Coach Steve Aggers. During the 2003-04 season, the Lions set an impressive mark by holding six opponents under 60 points. It was the most in any one season during the modern era of basketball, dating back more than 40 years. The last team to have more than six games holding an opponent under 60 points was the 1962-63 squad coached by John Arndt. They held teams under 60 points in seven games that season. For the Lions, the sixth game of the stretch came in a 66-48 win over Sana Clara on Feb. 12. The 48 points allowed was the fewest points since they held Saint Mary's to just 48 on Feb. 15, 1985. On Nov. 26, 1984 that same team opened the season allowing just 43 points to LA Baptist. Under Aggers, the Lions are 13-1 in games holding opponents under 60 points.

GRAND THEFT
In four seasons under Head Coach Steve Aggers, the Lions have had some of the most prolific steal leaders in freshman history at LMU. Last season Damian Martin set the all-time freshman record with 44 steals as he was named to the West Coast Conference All-Freshman team. He broke the record of fellow teammate Brandon Worthy, who set the all-time freshman mark for steals with 43 the year before. Also on that list is Wes Wardrop, who had 33 two years ago to rank third and Charles Brown sits sixth with 20 he had three years ago.

IMPRESSIVE FRESHMEN
Under Steve Aggers, the Lions have had some of the best freshman classes in school history. In addition to the steal records, freshmen under Aggers have put themselves in the record book 28 times. Brandon Worthy has six freshmen marks, including the most points in his first game with 24, which also ranks fifth all-time for a freshman in a single game.

MORE CAREER MARKS
Junior Charles Brown led the West Coast Conference in steals for the second straight season as he added to his career total with a league-leading 58 in the 2003-04 campaign, giving him 139 in his career at LMU. He became the first player in eight years to lead the WCC in steals back-to-back seasons. He was the first Lions to lead the conference in steals since Haywood Eaddy did it in 1997-98. His four steals against Pepperdine (Feb. 21) replaced Hank Gathers for eighth all-time in LMU history and his two against Saint Mary's (Feb. 26) replaced Keith Smith for seventh all-time. Brown's 61 in 2003 ranked sixth best in a single season in LMU history and his 55 in 2004 was 11th best all-time. He had 20 in his first season.

GERSTEN PAVILION
LMU finished the 2003-04 season with a record of 8-6 in Gersten Pavilion, the Lions' home since 1981. It is the best record at home since the 1998-99 season when they went 9-5. 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. The Lions are now 170-141 all-time in Gersten.

FROM THREE
Since the three-point field goal was introduced in the 1986-87 season, Loyola Marymount men's basketball has had just one game where they have not had a three-pointer. In the 520 games the Lions have played since the three-point line was instituted, the Lions have hit three-pointers in 519 of them. The only "miss" came on Dec. 19, 1995 when the Lions went 0-for-6 in an 82-80 win over Hawaii. That game snapped a 271 consecutive three-pointer streak for the Lions. They currently have made a three-pointer in 248 straight games heading into the WCC Tournament game against Portland on March 5.

WORKING OVERTIME
The Lions 84-82 double overtime win over Denver last season was the first overtime victory since an 81-79 win over Pepperdine in Malibu on Jan. 21, 1998. It was also LMU's first win in four tries under Head Coach Steve Aggers. It was the first double overtime game for LMU since a 97-94 win over Portland at Gersten Pavilion on Feb. 10, 1995. Overall LMU is 23-36 in overtime games with the first overtime game coming in the 1926-27 season against California Christian College, a 16-14 win for the Lions. The win over DU was the second consecutive overtime game for the Lions, the first-time that has happened since 1994-95. It is only the fourth time in the program's history LMU has played in back-to-back OTs (2003-04, 1994-95, 1991-92, 1980-81).

SUCCESS IN DOUBLE OT
More on the double overtime for the Lions: LMU has played in double overtime seven times in its history, going 6-1 in those games. The longest game in LMU history was a five-overtime affair against Fresno State in 1957. The Lions lost 92-90. The double OT games:

Dec. 16, 2003	at Denver	W, 84-82
Feb. 10, 1995	vs. Portland	W, 97-94
Dec. 2, 1994	vs. SW Louisiana	W, 80-73
Feb. 15, 1992	at San Diego	W, 106-104
Feb. 7, 1987	vs. San Diego	L, 88-82
1977	vs. Pepperdine	W, 95-86
Feb. 7, 1990	vs. San Francisco	W, 77-73

2003-04 AWARD WINNERS
Putting the caps on one of the best senior seasons in program history, Loyola Marymount men's basketball senior Sherman Gay was given the Pete Newell Award as the team's most valuable player for the 2003-04 season. At the end of each season the men's basketball team honors seven awards given for achievements in the 2003-04 season. For the second straight season senior Jason Dickens was named the Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Gay was named Defensive Player of the Year, sophomore Chris Ayer was given the Hank Gathers Award as the outstanding rebounder, sophomore Dustin Brown was given the Lion Award for most improved player, freshman Damian Martin earned the Tom Peabody Award for most inspirational player and senior Keith Kincade was given the Paul Westhead Award as the most outstanding offensive player.

WITH HONORS
Leading the Loyola Marymount University men's basketball team to its most successful season since 1996, senior Sherman Gay put some well deserved honors on an impressive senior season as he along with freshman Damian Martin were given West Coast Conference honors. Gay, who became just the 16th player in 97 years of LMU basketball to play in more than 100 games, became the first player in LMU history to earn WCC Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Carson, Calif., native was also named first-team All-West Coast Conference by the league's coaches. Martin, in his first season from Australia, became just the second freshman in LMU history to earn WCC freshman honors, as he was named to the WCC All-Freshman team.

THE SCHEDULE AND TV
As the excitement builds around the 2004-05 season, the Lions will have to take the next step playing its most challenging schedule since Aggers arrived in 2000. "This schedule has to be the most ambitious schedule from one game to the next since I have been here. There are no nights off in this schedule," said Aggers. In addition to the competitive nature of this year's slate of games, the Lions will be playing on television and often. Eight games are currently booked for television, all coming on Fox Sports Net. Four of the games are part of the WCC Television package with the other four coming from LMU and the opposing team. The Lions' television schedule will start at Gersten Pavilion with Washington on Sunday, Dec. 12 at 12:30 p.m. The game against the Huskies, a team that went to last year's NCAA tournament, will be on FSN West. Just added to the TV slate was the San Diego State game on Dec. 18, airing in San Diego on Channel 4. The Lions game at Virginia on Thursday, Dec. 23 is slated for Fox Sports Net at 4:30 p.m. The 2005 portion of the schedule will feature six games on Fox Sports Net. The Lions will open conference play at Gersten Pavilion with San Francisco on Jan. 7 (not on TV) and will then take on San Diego, Sunday, Jan. 9 at 1:00 p.m. on Fox Sports Net West. The Lions will then take on Gonzaga on the road, Thursday, Jan. 13 on Fox Sports Net Northwest. The Pacific Northwest trip will conclude against Portland on Sunday, Jan. 16 on Fox Sports Net West 2 at 5:00 p.m. In what has become a tradition, the Lions game at home against Pepperdine on Jan. 29 will be on Fox Sports West 2 at 7:00 p.m. The return game at Pepperdine will also by on West 2, Saturday, Feb. 26 at 7:00 p.m. The Lions home finale against Gonzaga on Satuday, Feb. 12 will be on Fox Sports West starting at 6:00 p.m. "From top to bottom, every team in this conference feels they have gotten better. It is going to be fun for our fans to watch us play this schedule," said Aggers. "This team is going to have to be mentally tough to meet the demands of such a quality schedule. It is part of us taking the next step. Our hope is that our great non-league schedule will prepare us for our league."