Box Score | Photo Gallery

BUY TICKETS | This is LMU Basketball | We Are LMU... | LMU on Facebook | LMU on Twitter

SAN DIEGO - Defense once again looked to carry LMU men's basketball away from home. However, a 13-0 run late in the second half by San Diego lifted the Toreros to a 59-50 win in West Coast Conference action Thursday night at Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Defense ruled on both sides as the score was 23-20 at the half in favor of the Toreros, who held the WCC's second best scorer to just a single free throw. The Lions held the San Diego (9-8, 2-3) to just 37.5 percent shooting for the game. The team's combined for 16 blocked shots, 10 from San Diego and six for the Lions (4-12, 0-4).

And turnovers once again proved costly for the Lions, as USD held a 24-12 edge in points off turnovers. LMU finished with 18 turnovers to San Diego's 14.

"Story of our season. We go into a desert with our offense," said Head Coach Mike Dunlap. "We need more guys finishing. It's been hard for us to get easy baskets. Free throws are our easy baskets and we only had 11 attempts on those."

Payne had 12 second half points to finish with 13 to lead the Lions. Patson Simae added 10 for the Lions, who shot 40.8 percent for the game. Marin Mornar had seven points, seven rebounds, four blocks, two steals and an assist. Johnny Dee led all scorers with 18 while Chris Anderson added 14.

"Love the way our defense continues to play. It continues to really hold the line," said Dunlap. "But we just keep turning the ball over."

The Lions came out strong to start the second half, taking the lead with the first two possessions of the stanza. The lead would go back and forth from there and would sit tied at 37-37.

The Lions would go on a 6-2 mini-run, capped by a Godwin Okonji jumper, to take a 43-39 lead with 8:56 to play.

However, the Toreros went on a 13-0 run over the six-plus minutes to take a 52-43 lead with 2:28 to play in the game. A Dee jumper capped the run. Ayodeji Egbeyemi's jumper with 2:03 to play ended the run.

The Linos would get no closer than six the rest of the way. The Toreros would finish with a 17-of-22 stretch from the free throw line, while the Lions finished just 7-for-11.

LMU travels to Provo, Utah, to take on BYU on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 6 pm (PT).