Women’s Basketball: For the Lions, it’s ‘home sweep home’

Two solid fourth quarters enabled Loyola Marymount University’s women’s basketball team to break its five-game losing streak with a pair of West Coast Conference wins at home over the weekend.

The dual victories pushed LMU (6-13 overall, 2-4 WCC) out of the conference cellar heading into this week’s match with up-the-coast rival Pepperdine. A recap of last week’s games: 

Jan. 9: 76-69 vs. San Francisco: Red-hot fourth quarter shooting (64 percent) lifted the Lions over the Dons at Gersten Pavilion. Freshman Asayn Adams scored 24 points, including 7-of-8 from three-point range, tying the school record. Jasmine Jones scored 14, Chelsey Gipson 11 and Raychel Stanley 10; Jones had eight rebounds; and Ciera Ellington, one of three Lions with six rebounds, added eight assists. LMU carried a one-point lead into the second half but gradually pulled away, leading by 11 late in the game. 

Jan. 11: 75-59 vs. Santa Clara: After a poor first quarter that ended with LMU trailing by eight, the Lions pulled to within one at halftime, took a 46-43 lead after three quarters, then exploded in the final ten minutes, shooting 67 percent from the field and making 15 of 21 free throws to win going away. Jones had 21 points, 13 rebounds and four assists; Ellington, 18 points, 11 rebounds and four assists; Stanley, 15 points; and Gipson, 10 points and four assists. LMU outscored Santa Clara 25-12 in the final 7:38.

Upcoming: LMU (2-4 in WCC play) takes on Pepperdine (9-7-, 3-3) on Jan. 18 in Malibu. The Waves’ roster includes former All-CIF star Paige Fecske, a redshirt senior from Chaminade; former All-Del Rey League star Cheyenne Givens, a sophomore from Serra/Gardena; and former All-Mission League star Malia Bambrick, a sophomore from Alemany. Fecske (11.7 points per game) and Bambrick (10.8) are Pepprdine’s leading scorers.

LMU then travels to the Northwest for games at Portland Jan. 23 and Gonzaga Jan. 25 before returning home on Jan. 30 to play St. Mary’s.