loyola marymount

Donte Smith won the starting point-guard role for USC without challenge because he's the most experienced of several inexperienced players at the position. Smith, who started only three games last season and played sparingly down the stretch because he was overweight, played the entire 40 minutes in Tuesday's season-opener against UC Riverside. He credits, for his new-found stamina, a summer workout regimen that enabled the 5-foot-11, 180-pound junior to shed 25 pounds.

If I would have had those 25 pounds on me, I don't think I would have made it   -Donte Smith

 

Ireland appealed to France and FIFA to replay the Ireland-France World Cup playoff after an obvious hand ball by Thierry Henry set up the deciding goal Wednesday. -- France's gym teachers said "indisputable cheating" allowed the national soccer team to defeat Ireland. The group's main union said the French soccer federation should have condemned Henry's hand ball. --  

Boston College 2 (Bekker 51, Taylor 103) Dartmouth 1 (Keat 30) (OT). Brown 1 (Rosa 104) Stony Brook 0 (OT). Bucknell 1 (Burgdorf 70) Princeton 0 .  

Kevin O'Neill was content with his debut but wouldn't stand for his team's imperfections. The new head coach of USC men's basketball made that message loud and clear after earning his first win with the Trojans on Tuesday against UC Riverside. The Trojans' lead was never threatened, but spurts of sloppy play in the second half marred an otherwise easy victory.  

If the 49ers knock off UC Riverside (tonight at 7) and UC Irvine (Saturday at 7 p.m.) in their final Big West Conference matches, they'll earn a conference title and the Big West's automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA Tournament. They'll then spend next weekend trying to enhance their tournament seed with victories in four home non-conference matches next Friday and Saturday. Come up short in their title hunt and, suddenly, the 49ers are playing those matches vs. TCU and UNLV (next Friday) and Loyola Mar

At the start off the (conference) season I thought a team could have four losses and still win the Big West   -Brian Gimmillaro

 

A berth in the NCAA championships will be at stake this weekend when Chapman University plays host to its first Western Water Polo Association men's tournament. And that's not the only attraction. The eight-school event, which runs Friday through Sunday, has some excellent former county stars.  

Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. KID'S DAY: The home opener vs. UMKC is Kid's Day at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center. Admission is free for all children in eighth grade or younger.  

Michael Hunter scored 17 points, including two 3-pointers in the final minute, to lead UC Irvine past Loyola Marymount 82-76 Wednesday night. The Anteaters (2-1) rallied after trailing by 14 in the first half. Eric Wise also scored 17 for UC Irvine.  

Nine Sierra Marlin athletes have signed letters of intent during the NCAA early signing period this week. They include Vista del Lago's Josh Choi (University of Notre Dame) and Dallin Johnson (Brigham Young University), Oak Ridge's Gabrielle Rossbach (UC San Diego), Ponderosa's Ryan Pickett (University of Hawaii), Granite Bay's Jordan Caines (Cornell) and Quincy Christian (Rice), Bella Vista's Alexandra Whitford (Stanford) and Angel Prat (Loyola Marymount) and Placer's Ryan Studebaker (UC Berkeley).