Two losses in their first home contests since early January pushed Loyola Marymount University’s women’s basketball team further back in the West Coast Conference standings heading into this week’s Bay Area trip.
A recap of last week:
Jan. 30: 61-70 vs. St. Mary’s: The Gaels took a 14-point lead into the fourth quarter at Gersten Pavilion, enough to hold off LMU which shot 59 percent in the final 10 minutes but only 41 percent for the game. Ciera Ellington led the Lions with a season-high 20 points, Chelsey Gipson scored 14 and Laura Vaida had nine rebounds.
Feb. 1: 70-87 vs. Pacific: Former local Catholic prep stars Brooklyn McDavid (Alemany) and Valerie Higgins (Chaminade) helped the Tigers dominate the Lions. McDavid scored 21, while Higgins had 20 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists. LMU trailed by 12 after one quarter, rallied to within six at the half, then saw Pacific shoot 63 percent in the second half to put the game away. For LMU, Gipson scored 20, Raychel Stanley 14 and Ellington 13.
Upcoming: The Lions (7-17 overall, 3-8 WCC) play at Santa Clara Feb. 6 and at San Francisco Feb. 8, having beaten the Broncos and Dons last month at Gersten.
