Feb. 13, 2010
Box Score
Coach Good Postgame Audio Quotes
Audio Highlights via LMU Podcast Center
SAN FRANCSCO, Calif. - LMU could not overcome the emotions of senior night and sluggish starts to both halves as they fall to the University of San Francisco, 75-66, at War Memorial Gymnasium in West Coast Conference play on Saturday night.
Playing in his final home game, USF Dior Lowhorn, who leads the league in scoring at 20.1 points per game and entered the game fifth all-time at USF in scoring, took over late to finish with 26 points, helping USF to improve to 11-15 overall and 6-5 in the WCC.
LMU falls to 13-13 on the season and 4-6 in the WCC, a game-and-a-half behind the Dons for fourth place in the conference standings. The top-four seeds get a bye in the first round of the upcoming WCC championships. The Lions remain in fifth place, a game better than Pepperdine.
Vernon Teel scored a career-high 28 points with eight rebounds, five assists and four steals to lead the Lions. Jarred DuBois added 13 points and Drew Viney added 10.
The Lions shot a season-low 2-for-11 from long range while USF went 7-for-19. USF hit 54.2 percent in the second half to finish hitting 23-for-46 for the game (50 percent). LMU finished 51.9 percent in the second half and 45.6 for the game (26-for-57).
The game trends started early.
The Lions started the game sluggish and fell down 8-2 early, committing four turnovers and going 1-for-5 from the field in the game's first four minutes.
However, they stormed back and took a 17-11 lead thanks to 15-3 run, capped by a Teel transition lay-up with 12:02 to play.
USF then closed the half on a 23-12 as both teams hit just one field goal each in the final four minutes. The Dons led 34-29 at the break.
The second half was the same. The Dons scored the first five points of the half to take a double-digit lead, including a 43-33 edge with 17:08 to play.
But LMU mounted another run, tying the game at 46-46 on an Ashley Hamilton lay-in with 10:47 to play. The Lions then took their first second half lead at 49-48 with a three-pointer by DuBois with 9:18 to play.
Angelo Caloiaro answered right back with a three-pointer of his own to give USF the lead right back, 51-49, with 8:54 to play. The Lions' Kevin Young tied it on the next possession, 51-51. Rashad Green scored on the next possession for the Dons for a 53-51 lead with 8:19 to play.
Then Lowhorn took over. He scored the Dons' next 10 points to push the lead back double digits. The Lions would get as close as 71-64 with 1:13 to play but could not get it any lower.
The Lions return home for Parents' Weekend as they will host 13th-ranked Gonzaga at Gersten Pavilion on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m.
