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LOS ANGELES - The LMU women's basketball will return to Gersten Pavilion as it welcomes Santa Clara on Saturday for a 2 p.m. contest. The game will serve as the "Represent" game and all student-athletes are encouraged to attend.
Last Time Out
In a tightly-contested contest featuring six lead changes and five ties in the fourth quarter, LMU was edged by San Diego, 61-58, Thursday night at Jenny Craig Pavilion.
Leslie Lopez-Wood had the hot-hand in the opening half, posting 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting, including a 2-for-5 clip from deep as the Lions trailed 33-29 after the first. The Toreros went up by eight in the third quarter before LMU tied it up at start the final frame. Jackie Johnson put the Lions ahead by one at 57-56 with 41 seconds left, but San Diego's Katherine Hamilton delivered the go-ahead jumper with 12 ticks remaining to seal its 13th straight decision over LMU.
Johnson poured in a team-high 16 points and added 11 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season. Lopez-Wood followed with 14 points and Cheyanne Wallace registered 12 points. Makenzie Cast added nine points off the bench, including a key and-1 in the fourth, to give the Lions their first lead of the game since the second quarter.
Recap: Lions Drop Thriller at San Diego, 61-58
Double Trouble
Jackie Johnson nears a double-double per game with 16.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per contest. Johnson has posted six double-doubles on the season.
Carrying the Load
Jackie Johnson leads the WCC in blocks (54), blocked shots per game (2.5), and ranks second in rebounds (169) and in rebounds per game (9.4).
Dynamic Duo
Jackie Johnson and Cheyanne Wallace currently rank third and 10th in the WCC with 16.3 and 13.1 points per game.
Dropping Dimes
Andee Velasco ranks second in the WCC in assists (95) and in assists per game (5.3).
Protecting the Rock
Andee Velasco ranks third the WCC in assist to turnover ratio with a 2.0 average.
Leading Legends
Leslie Lopez-Wood ranks 15th among active Division I 3-point scoring leaders with 245 career makes.
Climbing The Ladder
Leslie Lopez-Wood ranks ninth all-time with 1211 career points. The senior needs 21 points to surpass Adrianna Slaughter '04 to move into sole possession of seventh place all-time.
Sharing The Rock
LMU ranks third in the WCC in assists (283) and assists per game (15.7).
Light it Up
Cheyanne Wallace's 21 points at Santa Clara on Jan. 7 marked her eighth 20-plus point game of her career, whlie Jackie Johnson's 26 points against Gonzaga on Jan. 12 was her third 20-plus game of the season.
Triple Threat
LMU is 4-4 when Leslie Lopez-Wood, Jackie Johnson and Cheyanne Wallace all score in double figures. At least one member of the trio has notched double-digit scoring in every game.
From Downtown
Leslie Lopez-Wood broke the all-time 3-point career record a season ago and holds 243 to her name. The senior has lead the Lions in triples in each of her three seasons, and also set the single season mark with 82 makes from beyond-the-arc a season ago.
The Edge
LMU's back-to-back wins over Seattle (62-59) and UCSB (57-55) marked the first time since the 2011-12 season when the Lions earned two straight wins decided by one-possession. Previously, the Lions came away on top with two straight 57-54 decisions over Youngstown State Nov. 25 and New Mexico Dec. 1.
Locking the Lid
The Lions surrendered just three points against UC Irvine in the first quarter in a 58-39 win in its opening game of the LMU Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 25, setting a new program record for fewest points allowed in a quarter, besting its mark of allowing just eight points a season ago against the Anteaters on Nov. 28, 2015. LMU'S 39 points allowed in the game marked its lowest opponent total since a 65-39 win over Jackson State Nov. 11, 2007.
Scouting San Diego
The Broncos fell to Gonzaga, 51-39, Thursday night to drop to 9-9 on the season and 4-3 in WCC play and sits in a four-way tie for second place in the WCC.
Emily Wolph leads the conference with 43 3-pointers and ranks 12th in scoring with 12.4 points per game. Lori Parkinson is also averaging 12.4 points and ranks fifth with 7.9 rebounds per contest.
The Series
Santa Clara holds the 47-23 advantage in the all- time series, though the series has been even- keeled the past eight matchups, as each team has earned four victories. Santa Clara fares a 25-8 command on its home court, while going just 19-13 at the home of the Lions.
Up Next
The Lions will head to Pacific on Thursday, Jan. 26 before returning to Gersten Pavilion for a three-game homestand.
Preseason Predictions
LMU was predicted to finish sixth overall in the WCC women's basketball preseason poll, as voted on by the league's 10 head coaches.
Related Link: Women's Basketball Selected Sixth in WCC Preseason Poll
Gonzaga edged BYU for the top spot by one point, earning 76 points and five first-place votes. The Cougars received four first-place votes and Saint Mary's nabbed the final first-place vote and 66 overall points. San Diego (58) and Santa Clara (44) checked in ahead of LMU (36), who earned its highest ranking since 2013, when it was also selected to finish sixth.
Defending WCC tournament champion San Francisco was narrowed by the Lions by one point to hold the seventh spot, while it beat out Pacific by a one-point margin as the Tigers penned the eight spot. Pepperdine and Portland finished in a tie for ninth with 13 points apiece.
2017 WCC Championships
The 2017 West Coast Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships return to the bright lights of Las Vegas and Orleans Arena on March 2 through March 7 as 20 teams battle for two spots in the NCAA Tournament. Visit WCCSports.com today for complete championship and ticket information.
2016-17 Basketball Tickets on Sale!
This season, LMU continues its partnership with TicketsWest! Individual game, special promotional, and season tickets to the 2016-17 LMU basketball season are on sale NOW through the online ticketing system and all events can be done through LMULions.com.
