MORAGA, Calif. (Jan. 26) - Loyola Marymount University junior Marcus Smith turned it up with his return home to the Bay Area against Saint Marys, as his career high 18 points led the Lions to a 71-63 win in West Coast Conference play Jan. 26 in Moraga.
Smith, who transferred from Butte College, nailed his first six shots in the first half and finished the game seven-for-eight from the field and a perfect two-for-two from the three-point line.
"Man, that felt great," said Head Coach Steve Aggers. "To be successful in conference play, it is important to get tough wins on the road. We were able to get a much-needed road win once we could establish our lead and hold it in the second half."
The Lions (6-12, 2-3), who broke an 11-game conference losing streak on the road, took a 38-32 advantage over Saint Marys (2-16, 0-4) into the locker room on a 15-footer by senior Elton Mashack at the buzzer. At the half, LMU hit 60 percent of its field goals (16-of-27) and held the Gaels to no offensive rebounds.
"We were able to create open looks at the basket and run our offense effectively in the first half," said Aggers. "Marcus did well in getting open and hitting the shots."
The lead changed hands six times in the first half, but once the Lions got on top at half, they never looked back.
The Lions jumped up quickly for a four-point lead that opened the door for the Lion win. Smiths 14 first-half points led all players, as both teams relied on the three-pointer. The Lions went four-of-six from deep in the first half and finished the game five-for-eight (62 percent). Saint Marys finished 7-for-21 from the three-point line.
"We were very selective on our three-point shooting," said Aggers. "We didnt force any from the outside."
Once the Gaels concentrated their defensive pressure on Smith and the Lions perimeter in the second half, LMU went inside to junior Greg Lakey and senior Pablo Machado.
Lakey finished the game with 14 points, sinking eight-of-nine free throws. Machado added seven, Mashack six and junior Sean Mollins with nine.
The Lions travel to San Francisco to face the Dons on Saturday night at 7
