Nov. 12, 2010

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Lions' All-Access Postgame Highlights & Interviews

LOS ANGELES - In a game that felt more like a late season showdown between a pair of teams with high expectations in 2010-11, saw Morgan State erase a 15-point second half deficit to earn an 81-79 win over Loyola Marymount in front of 2,933 at Gersten Pavilion on Friday in the season opener for both teams.

DeWayne Jackson hit 7-for-11 from the three-point line and finished 10-for-18 from the field for a game high 31 points. Kevin Thompson added a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Drew Viney led the Lions with 27 points, while Vernon Teel added 15 points and nine rebounds. Junior Jarred DuBois added 13 points and seven rebounds while freshman Godwin Okonji had a stellar debut with seven points, eight rebounds, four blocks and three steals in 27 minutes.

"We just turned the ball over way too much," said Head Coach Max Good, who saw his Lions turn the ball over 14 of their 19 times in the second half. "We got the lead by being solid and sound. But we became careless and thought we could just relax and coast through. That was a very good team out there, and they made us pay."

The Lions used their defense to earn offense early to build a 58-43 lead with 13:19 to play in the second half thanks to an Ashley Hamilton putback. However, trailing by 11, Morgan State went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to four, 72-68, on five straight points by Black with 6:43 to play.

Viney answered the run with just under five minutes to play, making the score 74-68. The teams traded baskets before DeWayne Jackson hit his sixth three-pointer of the game to make it 76-73.

The teams traded a pair of free throws - two from Thompson and two from Viney - before DeWayne Jackson's seventh three-pointer made it 79-78 with 2:48 to play.

Morgan State would then take their first lead of the game since leading 3-0, this time on Brooks floater with 1:58 to play to make it 80-79. The Lions forced two Morgan State misses and had chances at fast break opportunities but would turn the ball over twice.

DeWayne Jackson would then go 1-for-2 from the line with nine seconds left and the Lions couldn't get a shot off in the final seconds.

The Lions led by as many as 10 in the first half, but an 8-0 run by Morgan State in the final minutes cut the lead to a pair, 31-29. DuBois would hit a floater with two second remaining to put the Lions up 33-29 at the break.

LMU will take on La Sierra on Sunday, Nov. 14, to close out the early two-game home-stand. Game time is 3 p.m., and can be seen through LMULions.com and heard on KXLU 88.9 FM.