Dec. 22, 2005

Box Score

Honolulu, HI (Dec. 22) - For the fifth time this season the Loyola Marymount University men's basketball team saw a win slip through their fingers at the buzzer as Western Michigan hit a tip-in at the buzzer for the 62-61 win in the 2006 Outriggers Hotel Rainbow Classic on Thursday afternoon at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Offensive rebounding hurt the Lions the whole game and it hurt them in the end as Joe Reintz tapped in a three-pointer miss by Stane's Bufford as the horn sounded. Western Michigan out rebounded the Lions 46-36 and had 25 offensive rebounds. LMU falls to 3-8 on the season while Western Michigan improves to 3-5.

"The tougher team won today," said Head Coach Rodney Tention. "Allowing a team to get 25 offensive rebounds is not going to win you any games."

Chris Ayer led the Lions with his second double-double of the season, scoring 21 points with 10 rebounds. Senior Wes Wardrop finished with 12 as both teams struggled from the field. Bufford finished with 18 points and Andre Ricks added 10. LMU finished the game hitting just 16-for-46 (34.8 percent) from the field while Western Michigan was 22-for-64 (34.4 percent).

Senior Dustin Brown game LMU a 60-59 lead with 45 seconds remaining on a jump hook. The Lions then got the defensive stop they were hoping for with 11 seconds remaining to send John Montgomery to the line. He hit just one of two for a 61-59 lead. Free throw shooting was once again tough on the Lions as they finished 65 percent, 26-for-40. Western Michigan was even worse, hitting just 12-for-25 (48 percent).

With five seconds, Brown fouled Brian Snider near half court. Snider they hit the first but missed the second as the rebound was tapped out to Bufford. His three-pointer was long but fell to Reintz who tapped it in for the win.

"We committed a horrible foul, did not execute on the miss to get the rebound and it killed us," said Tention. "We have got to learn how to win. Western Michigan were tough and scrappy. We matched them for 39 minutes and 55 seconds. That final five seconds killed us. We have to learn how to compete for a full 40 minutes."

It was a game of runs throughout as both teams held leads as many as 12. Western Michigan, trailing 5-2, went on a 16-0 run for an 18-6 lead with 11:39 remaining in the first half. The Lions then closed the half on a 16-5 run to cut the lead to one, 31-30 at the break.

LMU then started the second half on a 17-5 run to take a 47-36 lead after a five-point possession in which Jon Ziri hit a three-pointer and Matthew Knight, who was fouled on the play, hit both free throws. The Broncos closed the final 6:28 with a 18-9 run.

For the Lions, it is the fifth setback of the season that came on the final play as they have dropped all five by three points or less. The Lions will play the loser of the South Florida-Oregon State game at 1:00 p.m. (PT) to complete play in the Rainbow Classic.

- GO LIONS -