LMUat100 • 2011-12
THE CENTENNIAL SEASON
BIGGEST GAMES LOYOLA 30, PEPPERDINE 18 1940-41 Season - Date Unknown LMU and Pepperdine have faced each other 131 times in their basketball histories, the most matchups of any opponent for the Lions. Loyola’s 30-18 victory in the 1940-41 season is the first recorded game between the two universities who sit no more than 15 miles apart from another down Highway One on the Pacific Coast. Pete Newell and Phil Woolpert, both of whom won national championships as coaches, played for the Lions.
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 114, TENNESSEE TECH 78 Nov. 18, 1987 - Saint John’s Tournament New York City, NY The Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble era officially began in the bright lights of New York City. In a season that would see the Lions finish conference play 14-0, win their first conference title in over 25 years and earn a bid to the NCAA tournament, the Lions started their 28-4 campaign with a 114-78 win over Tennessee Tech. However, it was senior Corey Gaines who stole the spotlight, scoring 25 points.
LOYOLA 57, CCNY 56 1948-49 Season - Date Unknown CCNY was the NCAA and NIT champions the previous season. Later that season, CCNY was victim to a point shaving scandal. Led by legendary coach, Nat Holman, CCNY defeated the best team of the Pacific Coast Conference, Stanford 67-57 prior to their meeting with the Lions. Loyola staged one of the biggest upsets of that era, defeating CCNY by a point. Many questioned how legit the win was for the Lions.
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 104, SANTA CLARA 96 March 7, 1988 - WCC Championship Game Santa Clara, CA LMU set a tourney scoring record and won the title on Santa Clara’s home court, winning the school’s first WCC title since the 1960-61 season. Hank Gathers, who was voted the Tournament’s MVP, had 24 points in the win.
LOYOLA 73, SAN FRANCISCO 57 1953-54 Season - Date Unknown Led by Bill Russell, the Dons were about to embark on one of the NCAA’s most memorable basketball runs the following season. Between the 1954-55 and 1955-56 seasons, USF would win two consecutive titles, win 59 straight, including a 29-0 campaign in 195556, and win 61 of 62 games over two-plus seasons. Loyola’s 73-57 win would be rare over the next four years, as USF would win 10 straight. During the stretch, Russell would grab a USF record 35 rebounds on March 4, 1955. FRESNO STATE 92, LOYOLA 90 (5OT) 1956-57 Season - Date Unknown In the longest game in Loyola basketball history, Fresno State outlasted the Lions 92-90 in five overtimes, two short of the NCAA record of seven set 25 years later. The Lions were led by Garnette Brown, a first-team All-West Coast Athletic Conference selection. Brown averaged 20 points a game in the 1956-57 season. LOYOLA 69, USC 67 March 18, 1961 - NCAA West Regional Portland, OR The Lions defeated the Pac-10 Champions, 132 | www.LMULions.com
»Mike Yoest drives for two of his 19 points in their first round victory over Wyoming.
69-67 in the consolation game of the NCAA Championships. After losing to Utah in the first game of the Regional, the Lions upset USC in their first appearance in the NCAA tournament. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 100, BEMIDJI STATE 74 Dec. 4, 1985 - Gersten Pavilion Los Angeles, CA On Nov. 23, 1985, the Paul Westhead era at LMU officially began with a 92-72 win over Azusa Pacific. It took about two weeks for the run-and-gun system to take effect, as the Lions earned their first 100-point contest with Westhead at the helm. Forrest McKenzie scored 29 to lead the Lions and center Darryl Carter earned a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 80, CALIFORNIA 75 March 13, 1986 - NIT First Round Berkeley, CA The Lions made their first NCAA postseason appearance since 1980 in the NIT to face the Cal Bears, who were led by future NBA all-star Kevin Johnson. In front of 6,600 in Berkeley, the Lions under first year head coach Paul Westhead capped a record turnaround with an 80-75 win in the NIT. After going 11-16 and 3-9 in the WCC in 1984-85, the Lions made a drastic change, finishing the season 19-11, 10-4 in the WCC. After the California win in the NIT, the Lions lost to Wyoming four days later, 99-90.
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 119, WYOMING 115 March 17, 1988 - NCAA First Round Salt Lake City, UT The Lions’ first appearance in the NCAA tournament (since the championship was moved from the NIT to the NCAA) was a memorable one. Using 29 points by Bo Kimble and 12 rebounds by Hank Gathers, the Lions won their first ever NCAA tournament game with a 119-115 win over the Cowboys in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Lions would face the University of North Carolina two days later in the second round, losing 123-97. The Tar Heels would advance to the Elite Eight. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 181, US INTERNATIONAL 150 Jan. 31, 1989 - Gersten Pavilion Los Angeles, CA LMU and USIU began a string of track-meet basketball in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, setting their first of many records in LMU’s 181150 win. The win set the national record for combined points with 331. Hank Gathers put up monster numbers, scoring 41 and gathering 29 rebounds. The 130 field goals by both teams is still an NCAA record. Three weeks prior at USIU, the Lions defeated US International 162-144 on Jan. 7, setting the record for combined field-goal attempts at 245.