Feb. 6, 2015 BUY TICKETS | This is LMU Basketball | We Are LMU... | LMU on Facebook | LMU on Twitter
LOS ANGELES -- LMU men's basketball will host the annual Family Weekend Game on Saturday, Feb. 7 against BYU (17-8, 7-5) at 1 pm. The Lions (8-16, 4-8) will do so with momentum, winning three of their last four and claiming a back-to-back victory on Thursday against San Diego. The action begins at 11 am with the Family Weekend tailgate party, followed by This Week in the WCC live from Gersten Pavilion on Time Warner Cable SportsNet at 12:30 pm. The game can be seen on all of the WCC regional networks. The game can also be head on KXLU 88.9 FM.
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GAMEDAY
The two-game homestand for the Lions is part of LMU Family Weekend. It started with the Lions' 70-61 win over San Diego on LMU Cares Night. LMU CARES (Campus Awareness Resource Education Services) provides education to the campus community about resources, support and policies at the university regarding sexual and interpersonal misconduct and prevention. The game against BYU on Saturday is the Family Weekend game and special tickets are available for families for just $15. For more information on the full schedule of events of LMU Family Weekend:
- For more information on the full schedule of events of LMU Family Weekend: LMU FAMILY WEEKEND
INSIDE THE LIONS
The Lions' record sits at 8-16 and 4-8 after posting back-to-back conference wins for the first time since the start of the 2013-14 WCC season. The Lions erased an 11-point deficit in the final nine minutes to force overtime and then went a perfect 5-for-5 from the field to earn a 76-71 overtime win at Pacific on Jan. 31. In the win over USD, they led the entire second half thanks to a career-best 27 points from Marin Mornar. He continues to shine in WCC play, posting his third double-double in the last six games with a then career-best 23 points and 11 rebounds against Pacific. He then followed that with his fifth career-high game in the last eight contests against USD, going 8-for-10 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free throw line. In the last four games, Mornar is averaging 17.0 points and 9.3 rebounds.
Junior Marin Mornar had his third double-double of the season and third in the last seven games with 23 points and equalled a career-best with 11 rebound against Pacific. He has set career-highs in five of the last eight games thanks to his 27 points and nine rebounds against San Diego. In the 12 WCC games, he is 13th in scoring (13.6), 5th in rebounds (7.2), 5th in field goal percentage (53.2%), 8th in free throw percentage (81.3%) and 3rd in blocks (1.5 bpg).
The Lions have found some rhythm on offense, going for 74 assists in the last four games, including 20 assists on 22 field goals against SMC and 20 assists with just 10 turnovers on Saturday at Pacific. The Lions had 17 assists with 12 turnovers against San Diego. Through 12 non-conference games, the Lions averaged 10.8 apg, while in WCC play they have risen that to 14.8 apg, going for 18.5 apg the last four games. In the last four games they have an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.9 as compared to their season ratio of 0.9.
Leading the charge has been senior Chase Flint. He had a career-best 10 assists in the overtime win at Pacific and went for nine assists and no turnovers at USF. He is second in the WCC overall with a 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranked 18th nationally heading into the game against San Diego. His nine assists and no turnovers matched freshman Simon Krajcovic's performance from Nov. 29.
Senior Godwin Okonji, who has 17 offensive rebounds in the last four games, leads the WCC with 74 (3.2 per game). He led the Lions with 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals against Saint Mary's, and came back with 11 points and seven rebounds (five offensive) against Pacific. He has averaged 10.8 points and 6.0 rebounds in the last four games, and is ranked ninth in the conference in rebounding overall at 6.0 rpg and 6th with 31 steals (1.3 spg), grabbing two more against San Diego.
Sophomore Evan Payne has put up the points, running his career total to 908 in 55 games (16.5 ppg in his career). His 17.8 ppg this season trails only BYU's Tyler Haws and Brad Waldow in the WCC. He had his 15th career game with 20 or more points, going for 23 points on 7-for-16 shooting and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line at Pacific.
Junior transfer David Humphries had his best game as a Lion with 14 points, five assists, two rebounds, a steal on 4-for-7 three-point shooting in 44 minutes against Pacific. He followed that with an all-around performance in the win over USD, playing in 39 minutes he had nine points, six assists, no turnovers, four rebounds, two steals and a block. His production has taken off in WCC play, going for 11.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, and 3.0 apg in the last four games. In that same time span, he has shot 55.2 percent from the field and hit 60.0 percent from three (12-for-20). In the 12 conference games, he ranks sixth in three-point percentage (48.6%) and 14th in three-pointers per game (1.4).
