NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT / WEST REGIONAL AT LONG BEACH : Defending Champion Takes Fall : Michigan: Players have a universal answer to questions about Loyola: “They just shot it so well.”

Questions came at Rumeal Robinson in seemingly endless waves, just as Loyola Marymount’s sharpshooters had in the second round of the NCAA West Regional Sunday.

Where you prepared to run that much? Was it tempting to run with them? Were you tired at the end? What could you have possibly done differently? Is it disappointing to end your career this way?

Robinson, a senior guard for Michigan, began his answers differently but invariably he ended his remarks by adding:

“They just shot it so well.”

Robinson had an answer for every question, but he and his Michigan teammates had no reply for Loyola’s 52.5% three-point shooting.

What response could there have possibly been for Jeff Fryer’s making a tournament-record 11 three-point baskets, missing just four, en route to 41 points in the Lions’ 149-115 victory over Michigan at the Long Beach Arena?

“He kept scoring, whatever we did. He was amazing,” Michigan Coach Steve Fisher said.

Fisher’s first NCAA tournament loss, after taking Michigan to the NCAA title last season, was a memorable one.

Loyola’s Bo Kimble had 37 points, Terrell Lowery 23 in a substitute’s role and Per Stumer 21.

The Lions’ 21 three-pointers broke the tournament record of 14, set by Providence in 1987; and their 40 three-point attempts broke their old record of 39 set in 1988 and tied in 1989.

They also broke the tournament single-game scoring record by 22 points. It was 32 points more than Michigan had ever given up.

“It was a strange feeling to lose by that many points,” said Michigan center Terry Mills, who had 23 points.

“I was running up and down in the second half,” Mills said, “and I started to think there were more than five (Loyola) guys out there. I could have sworn there were 10 guys out there, not five.”

Having an extra player didn’t help Michigan, which had six players on the court at one point late in the first half. No one could figure out who was going out of the game, and it cost the Wolverines a five-second inbounds violation.

Later, Michigan players said they were not tired, nor frustrated in their inability to keep pace with Loyola’s relentless fast break.

“We played a pretty good game, (scoring) 100 and some points,” said Robinson, who also had 23 points. “They just shot it so well. Even with the tempo the way it was, I wasn’t tired. I think it was just that they shot so well.”

Michigan (23-8) was close at halftime, trailing just 65-58.

But the Lions’ blitz began seven minutes into the second half.

Lowery drove the baseline for a basket. Fryer hit a three-pointer. Kimble dunked, was fouled and hit the free throw. Stumer made another three-pointer.

Suddenly, an 86-76 lead had grown to a 95-76 advantage in 70 seconds.

Even Robinson, whose free throws in overtime beat Seton Hall for the NCAA championship last season, couldn’t rally the Wolverines.

Michigan tried to run in a vain attempt to catch up, but only fell farther behind.

“We got caught up in that running game of theirs,” Mills said.

Loyola hit the 100-point mark on a follow shot by Fryer with 11:02 left, and its scoring rampage continued until Marcellus Lee, a 6-foot-10 reserve center, made a three-pointer with five seconds left.