Nov. 20, 2009

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LOS ANGELES - Senior Jenna Sybesma had a game-high 19 points and nine rebounds but LMU was undone by 27 turnovers in dropping its home opener 65-62 to UC Irvine in the home opener Friday night at Gersten Pavilion. The Lions (1-2) suffer their first defeat to a Big West Conference school in almost two years while the Anteaters (1-2) gain their first win of the season.

Four days after hitting a school-record 13 three-pointers at Long Beach State, the Lions were stone-cold from distance against the Anteaters, going 2-for-18 (11.1%) from beyond the arc. Still, it was the turnovers that killed them as the 27 giveaways led to 34 UCI points. The Anteaters were also in a giving mood, committing 24 turnovers that led to 26 points.

Sybesma, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, had her highest offensive output since scoring 20 against Gonzaga on February 7, 2008. She looked much of her old self, using an array of fall-aways and spin moves to go 8-for-17 from the floor in registering her season-highs of 19 points and nine boards. She also added three steals and a career-high two blocks. Junior Renahy Young registered her third straight double-digit outing with 16 points and a career-high eight steals but was responsible for six turnovers. The eight steals were one off the school record of nine, jointly held by Kristen Bruich and Karen Gilbert. Sophomore Alex Cowling was the only other Lion in double figures, contributing 12 points.

LMU shot 37.9% (22-for-56) overall but made up for it in part at the line, connecting on 16-of-21 (76.2%). The Lions also dominated the boards, out-rebounding UCI 44-30, including 17 on the offensive end that led to 20 second-chance points.

Rebecca Maessen had 17 points to lead the Anteaters, who also got 12 points from Keyonna Johnson and 10 points from Jade Smith-Williams. UCI shot 50% (13-for-26) in the second half to finish at 44.2% (23-for-52) for the contest. Irvine shot 36.4% (4-for-11) from three-point range and 57.7% (15-for-26) at the line. The Anteaters committed 24 turnovers.

The Anteaters got off to the better start, taking a 16-10 lead before Young turned up the defense with steals on three straight possessions to kick-start a 10-0 LMU run. First, she stripped Raquel Theus, leading to a Cowling free throw. Then, off the offensive rebound, she drove baseline for a layup and was fouled, converting the three-point play. On the ensuing inbounds, Young got a hand in the passing lane and saved a ball while flying into the scorer's table, then hustled to join the play and finished off the fast-break with a layup that tied it. Two possessions later, she did the same on the other side, flipping the ball behind her back as she fell out of bounds.

Young's defensive play inspired her teammates, who continued to step up the full-court pressure while embarking on a 14-1 spurt. UCI went almost seven minutes without a basket and committed turnovers on six straight trips down the floor in that span, helping the Lions increase their lead to 24-17 on a step-back jumper by Cowling.

UCI came back on a three by Maessen and a layup by Kim Barnes to cut it to two but Young took matters into her own hands again, knocking down a three from the corner and then driving to the hoop for a layup to answer UCI's 5-0 run with one of her own. Young finished the half with 12 points to send the Lions into the locker room with a 33-26 advantage.

The Anteaters came out in a press to start the second half and it was effective, spurring them to an 8-1 run to cut the LMU lead to one, 35-34. Again it was Young and the defense that maintained the Lion advantage. Young went inside for a layup to get the LMU ship back on track and Sybesma followed with two straight hoops before senior Kavita Goss connected on a three. Sybesma then knocked down a long two, capping the 11-3 run for a 46-37 advantage with 12:46 to play.

Turnovers continued to plague both teams, however, with the Lions giving it away on five consecutive possessions to allow Irvine to pull within one. Both teams had over 20 turnovers with 10 minutes left to play. Slowly UCI began coming back, taking its first lead since the 10:09 mark of the first half on two free throws by Keyonna Johnson with 5:53 left that made it 56-54 UCI. The run continued as Lauren Spinazzle followed with a free throw and Maessen completed a three-point play, making it 60-54 Irvine. Sybesma put an end to that with a fadeaway jumper.

The tide was firmly in the Anteaters' favor and Jazmyne White's layup with 2:53 left put UCI up 63-56. It would stay that way until the 1:04 mark, when Cowling got a friendly bounce to make it a two-possession game. Forced to foul, the Lions sent Keyonna Johnson to the line for the double bonus. She made one of two and Helmers was way long on a three attempt but Sybesma tied it up on the rebound with the possession arrow in the Lions' direction.

Following an LMU timeout, Cowling was fouled with 33.8 seconds remaining and hit both. LMU pressed and Young intercepted a cross-court pass, taking it in for a layup to pull within two, 64-62. A frantic possession ensued as White missed a layup but was fouled getting her own rebound. She made one of two, with Young coming away with the board. The ball was knocked out of bounds with 7.7 left and Cowling got off a three, with the ball going out of bounds again to the Lions with 1.5 on the clock. With one last shot, Cowling got a good look but it went off the back iron.

LMU heads back out on the road on Sunday with a 2 p.m. tilt at Big West champions UC Santa Barbara. It will be the third straight game for the Lions against a team from the Big West and the third of five games total against that conference this season.