BYU basketball: Previewing the Loyola-Marymount Lions
BYU basketball looks to make it three wins in a row on Thursday night, hosting the Loyola-Marymount Lions. Here’s what to know for the WCC matchup.
Coming off back-to-back wins, BYU basketball is looking to take advantage of another bad West Coast Conference team. This time, the Loyola-Marymount Lions will enter the Marriott Center. Here’s what you need to know for the game.
For BYU basketball, it’s all about staying hot. The Cougars won back-to-back games for the first time since December and TJ Haws finally got out of his shooting slump. Luckily for them, the Lions shouldn’t provide much resistance.
LMU is 6-11 on the season (1-5 in WCC play) and allows 77.5 points per game (289th in the nation). The Lions have lost seven of their last eight games (four by 10 points or more).
But, never forget that BYU basketball head coach Dave Rose, after the Cougars squeaked by the Lions in the WCC Tournament last season, acknowledged that LMU’s athleticism was tough to deal with.
That’s troubling for a number of reasons, but the Cougar Cagers seem to have turned a corner. The team still has plenty of work to do defensively, but one can’t argue that they play a much better game overall this year.
Players To Watch
James Batemon: Batemon, a 6-foot-1 junior guard from Wisconsin, does it all for the Lions. He currently leads the Lions in scoring at 17.4 points per game, while also averaging 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Batemon’s scored 20+ points eight times this season, and is coming off a 30-point performance last time out against San Diego.
Eli Scott: Scott, just a freshman, is the Lions’ leading rebounder, hauling in 7.1 per night. He’s just 6-foot-5, but he uses his size and athleticism well. Scott’s shooting 49 percent from field en route to averaging 13.1 points per night.
Steven Haney: Haney is the third (and final) Lion averaging double-figure scoring. He’s averaging 12.6 points per night, but is shooting just 39 percent from the field. However, Haney can light things up from 3-point range. He’s shooting 40 percent from behind the arc and averages seven 3-point attempts per game.