Jan. 13, 2015 BUY TICKETS | This is LMU Basketball | We Are LMU... | LMU on Facebook | LMU on Twitter
LOS ANGELES -- LMU men's basketball returns home in West Coast Conference play for the 2015 Homecoming Week. The two-game homestand begins on Thursday, Jan. 15 when the Lions (4-13, 0-5) take on the Portland Pilots (11-6, 2-3) at 7 pm. The game can be heard on KXLU 88.9 FM and will be broadcast on TheW.tv.
LMULIONS.COM GAMEDAY:
Homecoming 2015: It's Homecoming Week on the campus of LMU. It starts with the Lions taking on the Pilots at 7 pm on Thursday. The game is sponsored by the Loyolan, who will give-away the LMU Trucker Hat to the first 500 students. In addition, the first 50 students will get the give-away for the 2015 Homecoming Game, the replica black jersey. The Lions, who wore black uniforms for the first time on their road trip last weekend, will wear the black uniforms for the homecoming game on Saturday, Jan. 17 against the third-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Replica Black Jersey, sponsored by the LMU Alumni Association, will be given to the first 1,000 students, season ticket holders and those who purchased advanced tickets to the Alumni Association Tailgate Party. The tailgate party starts the fun on Homecoming Saturday at 11 am. It is the WCC Game of the Week as the Lions will take on the highest ranked team ever to play at Gersten Pavilion at 1 pm. Coverage starts at 12:30 pm with the live WCC Pregame Show from Gersten Pavilion. Tickets are going fast and are limited, visit LMULions.com/tickets for both Thursday's Trucker Hat game against Portland and the 2015 Homecoming Black Jersey Game on Saturday against No. 3 Gonzaga.
The Lions' record sits at 4-13 after dropping a pair of games in the first road trip of conference play. The Lions fell at San Diego to start the road trip on Thursday, 59-50, and then at BYU on Saturday, 85-72. Against the Toreros, the Lions held an opponent under 60 points for the second time this season and under 40 percent shooting for the fourth time. The Lions' defense hasn't done that since the 2012 season. Against, BYU, the Lions had five players in double figures for the first time in over a year and finished with a season-best 18 assists (against D-I opponent). The finished shooting 7-for-14 from three, also a season best.
THE LIONS REAL QUICK... Senior Chase Flint has a career 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio and has done nothing but increase that in the last three games. He re-entered the starting line-up on Thursday and in the last three games he has posted 19 assists with just two turnovers, including a career-equalling eight assists with just one turnover against BYU. He has 43 assists and 16 turnovers on the season, good for a 2.69 assist-to-turnover average entering the game Thursday... The Lions' 18 assists was second only to the 24 they had against San Diego Christian. The Lions, who have struggled with turnovers on the season, had its best assist-to-turnover ratio since going for 15 assists with just nine turnovers against UC Irvine on Nov. 29. The Lions' 36 first half points was also its best since facing the Anteaters... Sophomore Evan Payne enters the week ranked third in the West Coast Conference and 17th nationally (as of Jan. 12) in scoring and sits with 20.0 ppg. He did not play on Saturday (coach's decision) and has led the Lions in 15 of the 17 games this season. He had a career-best 32 against NAU... The Lions continue to be tough around the rim, ranking third in the WCC in blocked shots. They have 63 blocks as a team and are now averaging 3.71 per game. Junior Marin Mornar equalled a career-high with five blocks against UC Riverside and added four more on Thursday against USD. He has 27 on the season, an average of 1.59 per game, ranking second in the WCC. Mornar now has 73 blocks in his career, good for 8th all-time. Senior Godwin Okonji has 91 in his career, ranking 5th all-time and one behind Ime Oduok (1993-96). The Lions 52.8 percent shooting in the opener was the best since hitting 55.4 percent against NAU on Nov. 17, 2013 and the 28.0 percent against Nebraska was the lowest since hitting 25 percent against seventh-ranked Gonzaga on Jan. 31, 2013... Okonji had his second career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds against Boise State. He has played in 112 career games, while fellow senior Egbeyemi played in 108 - both in the top-30 all-time at LMU (12th and 26th).
Except for a complete reversal against Saint Mary's, the theme for the Lions the last month as been solid around the glass while struggles with turnovers continue to hamper good defense. In the last seven games, the Lions held a +4.7 rebound margin. Against Nebraska, the Lions outrebounded the Huskers 40-22, including a 16-2 edge on the offensive glass. Saint Mary's, who leads the WCC with a +9.9 rebound margin, held the 37-28 edge, the only opponent in the last seven to out-rebound the Lions. It has helped the Lions score big in second-chance points, helping them to a 16-2 edge against the Waves and a 19-10 edge Saturday at BYU. As for turnovers, they have been LMU's achilles heal. On Jan. 3 against SMC, the Lions committed a season-low six turnovers, more than nine fewer than their season average. Including that season low, the Lions have committed 171 turnovers to their opponent's 120 in the last 11 games (15.5 to 10.9 per game), equating to a 208 to 131 edge in points off turnovers for LMU's opponents. BYU held a 27-11 edge in points off turnovers.
DEFENSE: In falling to Nebraska in overtime, 50-42, the 50 points is the fewest allowed by the Lions since 49 by Seattle on Jan. 1, 2009. LMU's 42 points is the fewest since scoring 39 at Portland on Jan. 21, 2010. The score was tied at 35-35 after regulation. It is the lowest combined regulation score since the Lions defeated San Diego State 28-27 in the 1947-48 season. The 35 points allowed in regulation is the lowest since the Lions defeated San Diego 69-31 on Jan. 30, 1962. The Lions allowed Nebraska to score just 14 second half points, the lowest scoring half by an opponent since the Lions joined the West Coast Conference in 1957-58 (records can't be verified prior). The 35 points is the lowest in regulation scored by the Lions since scoring 31 in a setback to UC Santa Barbara in the 1949-50 season and the 16 points in the first half is the lowest since scoring 14 in the second half of that game against Seattle in 2009. The Lions allowed Nebraska just four field goals in the second half, the lowest in at least 20 years (can't verify record prior).
THE SERIES: This is the 93rd all-time meeting between LMU and Portland and the Lions hold a 47-45 edge in the series. Portland has won the series in each of the last two seasons only to fall in the first round of the WCC Championships to the Lions in 2013 and 2014. The Pilots split their opening series to conference play on the road, defeating San Diego with a buzzer-beater and then falling at BYU. After falling to ranked-Gonzaga at home, the Pilots split a home series last weekend, defeating Santa Clara (78-61) before falling to San Francisco (89-77). Alec Wintering leads the Pilots with 14.0 ppg and with 92 assists.
Senior Leadership: The Lions, with 11 newcomers on the roster, lean heavily on an experienced trio of seniors. Both Godwin Okonji and Ayodeji Egbeyemi are coming off medical redshirt seasons and are in their fifth season in 2014-15. The two have played in 112 and 108 games, respectively, at LMU, ranking 12th and 26th all-time in program history. Both were expected to be mainstays in the starting line-up a year ago before their medical redshirts and enter the game against Pepperdine with a combined 161 starts among them. Joining them is senior Chase Flint. He, along with Egbeyemi, have already earned their Bachelor degrees and both are in master programs at LMU. Egbeyemi is the MBA program while Flint is in the Elementary Education program. Flint, who is from Fruit Heights, Utah, earned the start in both games last weekend and has posted 19 assists and just two turnovers the last three games.
