LOS ANGELES – After a 3-0 start to the 2018-19 season, the Loyola Marymount University women's basketball team (3-0) will host its annual Thanksgiving Classic this coming Friday and Saturday, Nov. 23 and 24. This marks the 21st year of the Thanksgiving Classic hosted by LMU. The Lions hosted the tournament for 15 consecutive seasons from 1997-2011 before taking a break in 2012.

LMU will host Northern Arizona (NAU), Robert Morris and SMU in this year's Thanksgiving Classic. Robert Morris and SMU will tip things off on Friday at 12:30 p.m. followed by a matchup between LMU and NAU at 3. The consolation game between the two losing teams from Friday's games will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday with the championship game following at 3 p.m.

The Lions are coming off of an 70-57 victory over at UCSB on Monday night and previously beat two Pac-12 opponents in Arizona (66-64) and UCLA (69-63) to start the season off on a strong note. This is the second straight season LMU has begun with a 3-0 record, after not previously doing so since the 2003-04 season.

Sophomore Jasmine Jones was just named the West Coast Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week following her dominant performance in LMU's victory at Arizona. She is averaging 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game as a reserve for the Lions.

Senior Bree Alford, who is on pace to break LMU's all-time rebounding record this season, is averaging 10.7 boards per game along with 8.3 points. Sophomore Chelsey Gipson is averaging double-figure scoring for the Lions at 12.3 points per game with 4.0 rebounds. Senior Andee Velasco is the team's assist leader with 4.7 per game.

LMU has been without leading scorer and All-WCC guard Gabby Green in its last two contests after she put up 25 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals to lead the Lions past the Bruins in the season-opener.

Northern Arizona is 3-1 so far this season with wins over Fresno State, Seattle and Cal Baptist and a loss against Washington. SMU has a record of 2-3, defeating UL Monroe and Mississippi Valley State and falling to Alabama, TCU and Southeastern Louisiana. Robert Morris is 1-3 in 2018-19 with its lone victory coming against La Salle and its three losses vs. Youngstown State, Rhode Island and Bowling Green.

Following the Thanksgiving Classic, the Lions return to Gersten Pavilion on Tuesday, Nov. 27 when they host UC Davis at 12 p.m. for Education Day.

All games in the LMU Thanksgiving Classic will be live streamed and live stats will be provided. Please click here for links.

Season tickets for 2018-19 are still available. Click here to secure your seats and take in all of the action this season.