Feb. 11, 2010

Box Score

Coach Good Postgame Quotes
Audio Highlights via LMU Podcast Center

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Loyola Marymount continued its turn-around 2010 season with a 73-67 road win over Santa Clara at the Leavey Center on Thursday night in West Coast Conference action, earning a series sweep over the Broncos on the season.

Drew Viney scored 20 points with six rebounds and four blocks to lead LMU. It is his fourth 20-point game in the last five contests. Kevin Young, Jarred DuBois and Vernon Teel all had 14 points each as the Lions built a 24-point lead and held on down the stretch. Robert Smith had 21 points to lead Santa Clara.

"We have to do a better job closing games," said Head Coach Max Good. "We started playing defensive defense. When we made our runs in the first half and to start the second half, we were playing offensive defense. Really playing the aggressor. But then we got passive, weren't really getting after them for the fear of fouling. Then Smith got into a rhythm but It took 19 shots to do it. Bottom line is a win is a win is a win."

The Lions improve to 13-12 on the season after winning just three games all of last season and move to 4-5 in WCC play, doubling their win total in conference play from a year ago. It is the Lions first WCC road win since Feb. 10, 2007 and it gives them back-to-back conference wins for the first time since that season.

"I was really surprised to hear that we have not won on the road in conference play for several years," said Good. "But I was not surprised as we were so beat-up last year and struggled with injuries to start this year. This was a good win for us in a tough place to play."

The win over the Broncos adds to their list of accomplishments following last year's three win campaign in which LMU had just seven scholarship players for most of the season.

They have their longest win streak since the 1995-96 season (6 games), the most non-conference wins since that season (9) and had a three-game road winning streak for the first time since they won their last road game of 1994-95 and first two road games of the 95-96 campaign. They hadn't won three straight road games in one season since 1991-92.

The Lions looked as if there were going to make it easy. They shot 51.7 percent in the first half to build a 43-27 lead at the break. The Lions aggressive defense forced eight of their 12 steals in the first half and held Santa Clara to just 32 percent shooting.

It continued at the start of the second half as they built a 62-38 lead with 12:15 to play after a pair of Viney free throws. However, the Lions would hit just 1-for-11 over the next eight minutes as Santa Clara cut the lead to single digits thanks to a 20-5 run in that span.

Viney would end the run, hitting on a turn-around jumper with no time on the shot clock to give the Lions a 69-58 lead with 3:31 to play.

Smith would answer right back hitting two three-pointers, the last coming with 1:32 to play, cutting the Lions lead to 70-66. LMU would not allow another field goal and the Broncos managed just one free throw down the stretch.

LMU finished the game outscoring Santa Clara 20-10 on points off 15 turnovers, improving to 10-1 on the season when they have more turnover points than their opponent. LMU shot just 37 percent in the second half and finished hitting 44.6 percent. Santa Clara finished at a 35.5 percent clip.

The Lions finish their trip to the Bay Area when they take on San Francisco on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. The Dons, 5-5 in WCC play, defeated Pepperdine by 30 on Thursday and hold a one-and-a-half game lead over the Lions for the fourth place spot in the WCC standings. The first four seeds in the WCC tournament earn a bye.