March 2, 2012
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Buzzer-beaters, clutch shots, huge rallies, defensive stands; you name it, the series of late between LMU and San Francisco has featured a little of everything. And it is only fitting that LMU and USF - who have put together a series that has been dead even in the regular season the last few seasons - collide for the first quarterfinal of the 2012 Zappos.com West Coast Conference Championships on Friday at 6 p.m.
The Lions earned the fourth seed and a bye to the quarterfinals with an 11-5 WCC record, its best since 1989-90. The Lions are 19-11 overall on the year and are led by first-team All-WCC selections Drew Viney (15.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.0 bpg) and Anthony Ireland (15.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.8 apg).
The Dons earned an 87-66 win over Portland in the second round match-up on Thursday to set-up the quarterfinal showdown. The Dons hit 50.8 percent from the field, including 11-for-23 from three (nine in the first half) to advance. Rashad Green and Angelo Caloiaro each had 19, combining to go 14-for-20 from the field. The Dons improved to 19-12 overall and went 8-8 in the WCC.
No series in recent history has been as close as the one with San Francisco. With essentially the same rosters the last two seasons, the two teams have played even in the last four games. The combined score of the last four games, 302 to 302.
Here is a look at the last four meetings of the regular season:
| Jan. 27, 2011 | USF 61, at LMU 60 | Michael Williams hits three-pointer with less than a minute left as Dons erase 17-point second half deficit. |
| Feb. 26, 2011 | at USF 77, LMU 75 | Cody Doolin hit only shot of game on a three-pointer with 49 seconds left and Lions miss three shots in final seconds. |
| Dec. 31, 2011 | LMU 77, at USF 76 | Anthony Ireland hits a runner with 1.6 seconds left in overtime for win as Dons erase 19-point deficit to send it to overtime. |
| Feb. 4, 2012 | at LMU 90, USF 88 | Lions hit 10 three-pointers in second half to erase 16-point deficit in final 7:30 as Drew Viney hit runner in final minute |
And the rivalry between these two programs of late has been brewing even beyond the last two years. In 2009-10, the teams tied for fourth place in the regular season at 7-7, with the Dons earning the fourth seed thanks to a series sweep, which include a tip-in with 11 seconds for the Dons to earn a 70-67 win at LMU. However, the Lions would reverse the tables at the 2010 Zappos.com WCC Championships quarterfinals with an 84-76 win.
The teams will be playing for the sixth time in the WCC Championships, with that win in 2010 the Lions' first in the previous five meetings. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m., and the game can be seen on ESPNU, online at ESPN3 and heard through the Lions' Audio Network on KXLU 88.9 FM and LMULions.com.
links here
- GO LIONS -
