Nov. 24, 2010

Box Score | Photo Gallery

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Playing their fourth straight game away from home, the trend of the first three continued as LMU once again struggled from the field at Cal Poly, shooting just 30 percent to put them in a 16-point hole with less than five minutes to play.

Despite a fierce rally that saw the Lions cut it to a pair, the Lions could not overcome the shooting woes to fall to the Mustangs, 55-48, in San Luis Obispo, Calif., Wednesday night.

Jarred DuBois led the Lions (2-4) with 12 points and Drew Viney added 10 as the Lions had just 31 points with just over five minutes to play. They finished hitting just 15-for-50 from the field. Cal Poly (2-3) wasn't much better, hitting just 16-for-49 (32.7 percent). Shawn Lewis had 11, while Drake U'u and Crhis O'Brien had season highs with 10 each.

"We came out with no energy," said Head Coach Max Good. "We had no flow on offense at all and didn't match Cal Poly's intensity. We showed some life down the stretch when we started to press, but there is no way we should let it get to that point. We have to learn how to play together, and play with passion for 40 minutes. We are going to learn how to get that done."

The low scoring started in the first half as the Lions had just 10 points with 4:03 remaining and went over eight minutes without a field goal as they trailed by as many as 11, 24-13. Godwin Okonji ended the drought with 3:27 to play.

Cal Poly would go into the lockerroom up six, 27-21.

It looked like they would shake out of it to start the second half, scoring the first four points on a lay-in by Ashley Hamilton and a floater by Vernon Teel to cut the lead to a pair, 27-25.

However, another drought - this one seven minutes without a point - saw Cal Poly stretch the lead to 16, 45-29, after a three-point play by Donahue with 6:29 to play.

That would be the last field goal of the game for the Mustangs.

The Lions would then go to a full-court press and they would come storming back, cutting the lead to a pair, 49-47, thanks to a 18-4 run that was capped by a pair of Larry Davis free throws with 48 seconds left.

The rally would stall as Teel's layin with the chance to tie was short and Cal Poly would ice it going 6-for-6 from the charity stripe in the final 30 seconds.

The Lions continue their road swing in the Big West with one of its preseason favorites, taking on Long Beach State at the Pyramid on Saturday, Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. The game can be heard on KXLU 88.9 FM and through LMULions.com.