Previewing LMU at SMC
By Simon Tryzna
RUN FOR YOU LIFE!!! ANTHONY IRELAND IS COMING!
I don’t know much about LMU. I know they are kind of a disappointment, but they have one of my favorite players on their team. I asked Josh Horton about LMU and this is what he said:
“They have been brutalized by injuries. They have had at least 4 key players been ruled out with season ending injuries. Very depleted roster. They rely heavily on their back court, consisting of Anthony Ireland and freshman Evan Payne. The Lions lost six straight games in a row before knocking off Pacific. Their best post player is probably a freshman, Gabe Levin, but he has fallen off slightly since the start of the season.”
LMU is sitting at 11-10 including a 3-6 record in WCC play. The Lions got off to a good start with big home wins over BYU and San Diego, but then went on a six game losing skid before beating Pacific on Thursday. Ireland is their leading scorer, averaging 18.7 points per game while Payne is right behind him at 14.9.
Shutting down Ireland and Payne will be huge for Saint Mary’s. The Gaels have been on the cusp of opening up games, and will look to have a complete game before going on the road to San Diego and BYU. A solid performance all around could see the Gaels ride into San Diego with a ton of momentum. But just like BYU with Tyler Haws, an LMU team with Anthony Ireland on the floor scares me. Big question is whether he can carry the team.
Key Matchup: Stephen Holt versus Anthony Ireland. Two senior guards with the ability to carry their teams to victory is always fun to watch.
Prediction: Gaels win. One way or another.
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