First-Half Problems Hurt Loyola

Loyola Marymount has had its share of problems this season, but almost all of them have surfaced on the road.

Friday night, they came home.

The Lions, who had lost only once in eight home games, were unable to overcome a disastrous eight-minute stretch at the end of the first half and lost to San Francisco, 84-71, before 2,318 at Gersten Pavilion.

The game turned dramatically after center Ime Oduok, Loyola’s No. 3 scorer and the leading rebounder in the West Coast Conference, picked up his second foul with 8:01 to play in the half and the Lions leading, 27-17.

San Francisco, 8-9 overall and 2-2 in the WCC, ended the half with a 25-4 run as the 6-foot-9, 240-pound Oduok, benched by Coach John Olive, watched from the sideline.

“At that point, up 10, two fouls--why keep him in?� Olive said. “Why take a chance at (him) getting three? The way they shot the ball, they cut the lead in a hurry. It was a matter of a few minutes.

“And now, do you take a chance and put him back in with two minutes to go in the half and have him pick up a third silly foul?�

Olive chose not to and Loyola (9-6, 1-2) ended the half by making only one of its last nine shots. USF, meanwhile, made 10 of 15.

Trailing at halftime, 42-31, Loyola cut the deficit to 49-45 with 14:21 to play before USF answered with a 13-3 run, the last six points coming from John Duggan on a pair of three-point baskets from the left corner.

Loyola, which got 15 points and 12 rebounds from Oduok and 17 points from guard Robin Kirksey, never again trailed by less than eight.