Nov. 14, 2009

Box Score

LMU vs. North Dakota Audio Highlights from the LMU Podcast Center
Postgame quotes from Coach Good from the LMU Podcast Center

MISSOULA, Mont. - The LMU men's basketball team opened the 2009-10 season playing a Boise State team that loves to run and push the tempo. The Lions then had to face a North Dakota team that ran a ball-control, zone-based system that was meant to slow the game down completely. A complete contrast in styles in less than 24 hours.

Neither seemed to bother the Lions as LMU put up more than 80 points for the second straight night in an 83-60 win over North Dakota in the second day of the Karl Tyler Chevrolet Grizzly Classic Saturday night at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, Mont.

The Lions improve to 1-1 while North Dakota falls to 0-2.

The 23-point win was the largest margin of victory for the Lions since Nov. 24, 2004 when they defeated Northern Colorado in Greely, Colo., 83-51. In addition, it is the first time the Lions went for 80 in consecutive games since they did it in back-to-back games in the 2005-06 campaign.

"We really moved the ball around well tonight and played very unselfish basketball," said Head Coach Max Good. "Vernon Teel has played two of his most complete games at LMU, and tonight he really set-up the offense well."

Teel finished with 15 points, six assists, six rebounds, six steals and a block to lead LMU. The Lions had four players in double digits. Jarred DuBois added 12, Larry Davis 11, and Drew Viney had 10.

While the Lions' offense put up impressive numbers for game two of the season, it was the defense that made it happen. LMU collected 16 steals and forced North Dakota into 18 turnovers, which led to 25 points. The 16 steals is the most since the Lions had 17 at Portland on Feb. 16, 2002.

"We have been working on a way of defense for the last month and we threw it all out the window and asked the guys to play a different defense tonight," said Good. "North Dakota runs a lot of back door cuts and we wanted to sag our defense to deny that. We did a very good job of attacking the lanes and getting our arms in the way of their passing. They did a great job of adjusting."

It was the Lions defense that gave them a double-digit cushion they wouldn't let go of. The Lions were up one when DuBois had a steal and hit a jumper for a three-point lead. Then up eight, Davis stole the ball and went coast-to-coast for a 20-10 lead. All six of the Lions' first half steals led to baskets.

LMU finished shooting 54.5 percent from the floor, hitting 30-of-55 from the floor, including 9-for-20 from the three-point line (45.0 percent). LMU also hit 14-for-16 from the charity stripe.

The Lions will face host Montana in the final game of the Grizzly Classic on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. The game can be heard on KXLU 88.9 FM.