LMU CAN'T CARRY MOMENTUM\USD 65, LMU 59.

Byline: Daily News

As far as building late-season momentum for the conference tournament goes, Loyola Marymount's game against San Diego on Friday night was about the last thing coach John Olive wanted to see.

The Lions committed 22 turnovers, allowed USD to shoot 56.5 percent from the field in the second half and disappeared when it mattered the most in a 65-59 loss before 1,281 fans at Gersten Pavilion on Friday.

Former Crescenta Valley High School star Brock Jacobsen sank four free throws in the final 30 seconds to secure the win for USD, which won its first West Coast Conference game on the road this year.

"We played very sloppy" said Olive. "We had a definite lack of focus for whatever reason tonight."

The loss made only a minor impact on the conference race, as the Lions (17-9, 7-6) still can finish third with a win over San Francisco tonight. With a loss tonight, they could be in fourth or fifth place, but they still would face Portland in the first round of the conference tournament.

The loss hurt the Lions' chances to get to 20 wins this season, leaving them with 17 with two regular-season games to play before the tournament.

LMU led 50-46 with 7:16 to play, but didn't score for the next 4:13 as USD went on an 11-0 run and took a 57-50 lead. Each possession for LMU in that run was its own little nightmare: a missed 3-point try, a 3-second-in-the-lane violation, a really bad 12-foot shot by Kenny Hottop, Ime Oduok stepping out of bounds on the baseline and Mike O'Quinn casually letting the shot clock run down before forcing a 3-pointer.

But USD let LMU close to 59-58 with 35.5 seconds to play before Jacobsen went to work. He hit two free throws to make it 61-58 and then after getting the rebound on a missed 3-pointer by Jim Williamson, made two more to make it 63-58 with 18.8 seconds remaining.

"I keep getting fouled at the end of the game," said Jacobsen, who earlier made key free throws in USD wins against San Diego State and UC Irvine. "I just step up and make them."

"Brock did it," said USD coach Brad Holland, who also went to Crescenta Valley. "He's been up to the line with the game in the balance and he's come through."

"I want the ball in my hands at the end," said Jacobsen, who scored 12 points and is averaging 7.7 points in his freshman season for the Toreros. "I'm not scared to take the shot or to step up to the line."

USD (11-13, 5-8) will likely finish sixth in the conference, which means it could be a first-round opponent for the Lions next week at Santa Clara.

Ben Ammerman had 15 points for LMU, O'Quinn had 13 and Oduok had 11. Brian Miles and David Fizdale had 14 for the Toreros.