Loyola Marymount Wins Big

No big second-half comebacks. No nail-biting last few minutes. For the first time in awhile, Loyola Marymount enjoyed a good, old-fashioned blowout.

Keith Kincade led four players in double figures with 19 points and Chris Ayer had 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds as the Lions cruised to a 78-54 victory over Colgate on Friday at Gersten Pavilion.

Loyola (8-4) dominated in every facet of the game. The team enters West Coast Conference play next week with its best nonconference record in eight years. It was the largest margin of victory since a 33-point win over Sacramento State in the second game of the 2002-03 season.

“I don’t know if I’d call this a breather,” Loyola Coach Steve Aggers said. “That’s a good basketball team. They run their stuff and they play hard, but that says a lot for our team because we won going away.”

The Lions led, 36-29, at halftime, but Colgate (6-5) started the second half with consecutive baskets that led Aggers to call a quick timeout. Forward Sherman Gay, who had 16 points and nine rebounds, set things right with a spirited stretch where he had two rebounds, a block, a steal and scored seven consecutive points.

“We went to the press and we picked up our intensity,” Gay said. “We got some steals and it kind of fueled our fire.”

Behind Gay’s play, the Lions pushed their lead to 13 points and kept adding to it in the half. Charles Brown added 14 points and six assists as Loyola shot a season-high 56.5% and had 23 assists.

“We’ve been pretty consistent on defense and that’s opened up our transition game,” Brown said.

-- Eric Stephens