Dec. 11, 2010

Box Score

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - A near triple-double by senior Vernon Teel and a career-best and game-high 21 points from freshman Anthony Ireland led LMU to a 72-67 come-from-behind win over South Dakota at Gersten Pavilion Saturday night.

The starting guards combined for 41 points, 20 rebounds and 14 assists to lead the Lions to their third straight win, improving to 6-5 on the season. South Dakota falls to 3-7.

Teel finished the game two assists shy of LMU's first triple-double in school history, scoring 20 points with 13 rebounds and eight assists for his ninth double-double in his career. Ireland, in his 11th career game, went for a career-best 21 points, adding seven rebounds and six assists, both of which tie career-highs.

"Vernon and Anthony played really well in the second half," said Head Coach Max Good. "We were much more aggressive on the defensive end of the floor and we were able to get out and run."

Louie Krogman scored 21 points on 4-for-9 shooting from the three-point line to lead South Dakota.

Teel's eighth and final assist of the night was the biggest, as Drew Viney drilled a seven-footer on a Teel pass in the paint to give the Lions a 69-67 lead with 47 seconds left. Viney finished with 10 points.

The guard duo did a little of everything. Following the Viney bucket, Teel would block a Kendall Cutler shot with 35 seconds left, while Ireland hit a pair of free throws with 24 seconds left to push the lead to four. Ireland would then end it with a steal with 14 seconds left.

The Lions trailed by five, 37-32, at the break but came out of the lockerroom to score the first seven points of the half, taking a 39-37 lead on a Larry Davis three-pointer.

In a game that featured 11 ties and 13 lead changes, the Coyotes taok a 46-45 lead on Trevor Gruis' jumper with 14:21 to play. LMU then rattled off a 7-0 run to take their largest lead, 52-46, on a LaRon Armstead lay-in with 12:38 to play.

Krogman's three-pointer and a pair of Gruis' free throws were the only points in the game for the next three minutes as South Dakota tied the game at 52-52 and it would be back-and-forth the rest of the way.

The Coyotes finally got the lead back on Charlie Westbrook's jumper with 4:56 to play, 62-61. They would hold the lead until consecutive baskets by Viney and Ireland gave LMU a 67-65 lead with 1:48 to play.

Gruis would tie the game, 67-67, on the next possession with 1:22 left, setting up Viney's eventually game-winner.

The Lions finished with just eight turnovers and for the second straight game eclipsed the 20-assist mark with 22 on 29-for-70 (41.4 percent) shooting. South Dakota, who entered the game hitting nearly eight three-pointers a game on 37 percent shooting, went 5-for-17 from long distance (29.4 percent) and finished 25-for-59 from the field.

"We were very concerned about their shooting. They are one of the better three-point shooting teams we will face this year and we decided to take away their three-point shooting even if it meant giving up some baskets in the paint," said Good. "We did a pretty good job in shutting them down from outside."

LMU out-rebounded an opponent for the 10th time this season, holding a 46-40 edge on the boards.

The Lions will finish a four-game homestand after finals week when they host Florida State on Saturday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. The game can be seen on ESPNU and can be heard on KXLU 88.9 FM.