Top Five Highest Scoring Games in NCAA History?

[crazycagegirl]

One of the basketball players in my class is in dire need of extra credit. I told him to do a research report on LMU Basketball, and he is having difficulty finding the top five highest scoring games.

Anyone happen to know them and the scores? I tried searching for it online and couldn't find anything.

The kid is really enjoying learning about our super star era. He was amazed to hear about the scores because he had never heard of LMU before last year, when he had me as a freshman.

UPDATE:

I found four of the five, but I can't find game #4. It's ridiculous how difficult it is to research this!

Jan. 6, 1991 - LMU v. US International: 186-140
Jan. 31, 1989 - LMU v. Us International: 181-150
Jan. 7, 1989 - LMU v. US International: 162-44
Dec. 7, 1989 - LMU v. US Internatioal: 152-137

[lion99]

See link to Lions Media guide. The LMU History section section may have what he needs, and more.

www.lmulions.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/media-guide.html

[crazycagegirl]

Awesome! Thanks.

[thx4leavinjimlynam]

In case you had trouble with the PDF...
186-140 U.S. International 1/5/91
181-150 U.S. International 1/31/89
164-138 Azusa Pacific 11/28/88
162-129 vs. Chaminade 11/25/90
162-144 at US International 1/7/89

If you look, I love how two of the next four occurred three days apart...with a 141-point overtime game (against LSU) in between!!

157-115 at San Francisco 2/4/90
152-137 at US International 12/7/89
151-107 US International 1/11/86
150-119 Saint Mary’s 2/1/90

Everything the student would need to know is in the PDF. Good grab, lion99.

[rebelfan]

Don't think we quite made it but we beat Utah State 142-140 in 1985.

[titanczar]

You must have ran US International out of athletics. I do not believe they have an athletics program anymore. They even renamed their school to Alliant International.

[LIONS90045]

titanczar - 142 points - only 142 - that's a laughable total in light of the mighty LMU's big scores in the glory days! Plus you almost lost the game!

[rebelfan]

I suspect you were talking to me, not titanczar.

I could very easily counter that while you were putting up those gaudy numbers, it was UNLV who was keeping you way below your average and also beating you twice that year - very easily too. And ending your NCAA championship hopes in the process - while we went on for the ultimate glory.

See, the big difference is though we were very good offensively, our teams were based on defense. LMU wasn't able to find defense in the dictionary.

[LIONS90045]

Yeah - I mixed up the posters - sorry Titan. I see from your holding Utah State to 140 points that you did have that defense working.

[rebelfan]

Triple overtime, players fouled out, had to finish with five players, two of which were walkons, and it was on the road. We see the stellar LMU defense with games in the 150's against mighty US International.

Please, let's not get into a debate about Tark's defense versus Westhead's defense. That's simply comical. Tarkanian is widely thought of as one of the best defensive coaches in the history of the game by his peers. Offensively, he was an innovator. Afterall, it was UNLV's record from the late 70's that LMU broke for scoring average for a season. The difference was, back then, Tark didn't have the huge benefit of the three pointer and was crippled by NO SHOT CLOCK.

You guys had a very exciting offense. No question about it. In fact, I was scared in our NCAA tournament game with you. But we saw what happens when a playground offense meets up with a great defense. It was a complete and utter mismatch. And in the end, the quick paced LMU Lion's were tugging on their shorts, out of breath, while the Rebels were smiling and still runnin'.

[LIONS90045]

Hi rebelfan - I really was not around for LMU basketball in that timeframe but it sounds like UNLV had a great team. Congratulations. Plus, I was only pulling your leg for fun!
Great that your walk ons could pull off the win.

[thx4leavinjimlynam]

Hey rebelfan, you beat our undermanned team in the NCAA Tournament, no question. The better team won.

However, what is your take on the suspicious package that was "called in" to Thomas & Mack in the Preseason NIT game to open the 1989-90 season? LMU was running UNLV off the court in the first half, and Larry Johnson was gassed, when that "mystery" phone call stopped the game for 10 minutes.

Personally, I think Tark was pulling out all the stops.

[rebelfan]

You know what? I remember that, but I never really thought about it since it happened. I know some former players, I can ask them what they think happened. I think I have that game on tape. My recollection is a little different, but admittedly, I can be wrong. I haven't seen the game since it happened. But I thought it was a very close and competitive game in the first half, then the bomb threat came.... could be wrong though. I'll rewatch. When they announced the potential bomb, alot of the stadium calmly cleared... I remember proclaiming that if I'm going to die, I want to die in the Thomas and Mack.

If Jim Harrick or Lute Olsen were coaching us, I'd be in total agreement that it was more than a possibility. But that would be so out of character for Tarkanian to do. Alot of people hated him, but I don't think he would stoop to those depths to win a game. He always honored the game and spirit of competition.

Larry was VERY out of shape for the first dozen or so games of his Jr year after transferring from JC. He was winded in the first half when we played the Soviet national team on ESPN. At the time I was thinking "maybe this guy just isn't that good..."

It stayed that way for Larry through his UNLV career. He was in good shape, but not as good as the rest of the guys. He was always the first to be bent over out of breath. He'd usually play through it. And then we usually had such a big lead that he was able to take as much time as he needed on the bench.

They were great games, it was a great era for college basketball. It's so different now. Back then, fundamentals were much stronger, team play was much better, I feel the team pride element was higher, because nobody was jumping to the NBA early, the talent level was much better. The general pace was faster too. The game is missing alot of that today.

wrschnike, sorry, didn't mean to get all riled up.

[thx4leavinjimlynam]

Thanks rebelfan. Those were great times for college basketball, and I do appreciate Tark. The bomb threat is a bit of a conspiracy theory among LMU fans, but we were truly on a run at that point (up six, I think, with all the momentum, and with Larry Johnson gassed as you mentioned).

The one scary aspect of the bomb threat is that ESPN's cameras actually found a box in the rafters. That later only fueled speculation that Tark (or someone with UNLV) had planted that box up there as a safety net in case they ever needed a 10-minute time out.

Those games certainly were fun, and the players were so much more talented (since very few left early for the NBA, and because fundamentals were better). Thanks for the trip down memory lane, rebelfan. Go Lions!