The Gaels shot 44.3 percent from the game, including a 51.7 clip (15-of-29) in the first half, while holding the Lions to shoot just 37.5 percent (21-of-56) from the floor.
Jackie Johnson paced the Lions with 16 points and five rebounds. Leslie Lopez-Wood followed with eight points, while Makenzie Cast and Brittney Reed chipped in with six points apiece. Saint Mary's had a trio of double-digit scorers, led by Stella Beck with a game-high 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
Recap: Lions Drop WCC Opener at Saint Mary's, 74-59
Double Trouble
Jackie Johnson is the only player in the WCC who is currently averaging a double-double per game with 15.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest. Johnson leads the conference with six double-doubles on the season.
Carrying the Load
Jackie Johnson leads the WCC in rebounds per game (10.3) and blocked shots (30).
Dynamic Duo
Jackie Johnson and Cheyanne Wallace currently rank fourth and eighth in the WCC with 15.8 and 13.6 points per game.
Dropping Dimes
Andee Velasco leads the WCC in assists (70) and ranks second in assists per game (5.8).
Leading Legends
Leslie Lopez-Wood ranks 12th among active Division I 3-point scoring leaders with 238 career makes.
Climbing The Ladder
Leslie Lopez-Wood ranks 10th all-time with 1140 career points. The senior needs five points to surpass Kristen Bruich '91 to move into sole possession of ninth place.
Sharing The Rock
LMU currently leads the WCC in assists (200) and assists per game (16.7).
The Edge
LMU's back-to-back wins over Seattle (62-59) and UCSB (57-55) marked the first time since the 2011-12 season when the Lions earned two straight wins decided by one-possession. Previously, the Lions came away on top with two straight 57-54 decisions over Youngstown State Nov. 25 and New Mexico Dec. 1.
Locking the Lid
The Lions surrendered just three points against UC Irvine in the first quarter in a 58-39 win in its opening game of the LMU Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 25, setting a new program record for fewest points allowed in a quarter, besting its mark of allowing just eight points a season ago against the Anteaters on Nov. 28, 2015. LMU'S 39 points allowed in the game marked its lowest opponent total since a 65-39 win over Jackson State Nov. 11, 2007.
Light it Up
Cheyanne Wallace's 20 points against San Diego State on Nov. 20 marked her sixth 20-plus point game of her career. Wallace also notched a career-high 26 points against Saint Louis on Nov. 13.
From Downtown
Leslie Lopez-Wood broke the all-time 3-point career record a season ago and holds 238 to her name. The senior has lead the Lions in triples in each of her three seasons, and also set the single season mark with 82 makes from beyond-the-arc a season ago.
Scouting BYU
The Cougars dropped their WCC opener at Santa Clara, 64-63, for their third loss in four games. Cassie Broadhead leads BYU and ranks third in the WCC with 16.8 points per contest. Makenzie Pulshipher and Kalani Purcell are also averaging double figures with 12.5 and 12.0 points per game, respectively.
The defending WCC regular season champions posted a 12-0 mark at the Marriott Center a season ago, but BYU has dropped two of its three home games so far this season.
The Series
BYU dominates the all-time series with a 12-1 mark. The Cougars enter Saturday's contest with seven-game win streak against the Lions and are 10-1 versus LMU since joining the WCC.
Up Next
LMU will return to Gersten Pavilion to open 2017 against Pepperdine on Thursday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m.
Preseason Predictions
LMU was predicted to finish sixth overall in the WCC women's basketball preseason poll, as voted on by the league's 10 head coaches.
Related Link: Women's Basketball Selected Sixth in WCC Preseason Poll
Gonzaga edged BYU for the top spot by one point, earning 76 points and five first-place votes. The Cougars received four first-place votes and Saint Mary's nabbed the final first-place vote and 66 overall points. San Diego (58) and Santa Clara (44) checked in ahead of LMU (36), who earned its highest ranking since 2013, when it was also selected to finish sixth.
Defending WCC tournament champion San Francisco was narrowed by the Lions by one point to hold the seventh spot, while it beat out Pacific by a one-point margin as the Tigers penned the eight spot. Pepperdine and Portland finished in a tie for ninth with 13 points apiece.
2017 WCC Championships
The 2017 West Coast Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships return to the bright lights of Las Vegas and Orleans Arena on March 2 through March 7 as 20 teams battle for two spots in the NCAA Tournament. Visit WCCSports.com today for complete championship and ticket information.
2016-17 Basketball Tickets on Sale!
This season, LMU continues its partnership with TicketsWest! Individual game, special promotional, and season tickets to the 2016-17 LMU basketball season are on sale NOW through the online ticketing system and all events can be done through LMULions.com.
