LOS ANGELES – Loyola Marymount men's basketball improved to 9-1 at Hank's House with Saturday's PCH Cup win over rival Pepperdine. Despite the Lions pulling the lead up to 10 points, the game remained close until the closing seconds before LMU (14-5, 2-3 WCC) came out with the 74-70 win over the Waves (9-11, 2-4).
 
"Our bigs needed to get more touches and a lower turnover count," said Head Coach Mike Dunlap on what needed to happen differently in this matchup with Pepperdine. "It was a key win for us, a confidence builder for us and all that. It was a needed win for us after two losses to stop the bleeding."
 
In the opening minutes, Eli Scott hit back-to-back baskets to erase an early deficit and give LMU a 9-8 lead with 14:49 to play. Scott scored 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting to lead the Lions, and added on eight rebounds. Scott's top-two scoring outbursts this season have come against the Waves after scoring 18 in Malibu a few weeks back.
 
Quick hands by Jeffery McClendon sparked a 6-0 run by the Lions halfway through the first. McClendon had two steals over the stretch to push LMU up 18-14, and finished with a career-high six.

Joe Quintana hit his second three of the first half to double LMU's advantage and make it a 27-21 game with 5:14 remaining until intermission. Quintana scored 15 on the day and finished as one of five Lions in double-figures.
 
Pepperdine had one final look at the basket with four seconds remaining before the half. The Waves went coast-to-coast but Jordan Bell was defending the basket and pinned the last second shot attempt against the backboard to keep it at a 31-30 lead heading into intermission.
 
Neither team held a lead larger than six points, and the game featured six lead changes and four ties in the first half.
 
Mattias Markusson tallied his third double-double of the year after claiming a defensive rebound on one end and receiving the ball for an alley-oop dunk on the other with 9:02 remaining. Markusson finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field in the second half.
 
The Lions took a 53-52 lead and built it up to 10 points at 68-58 on a Dameane Douglas fast break. The 15-6 run over a four-plus minute stretch included five of Douglas' 13 points.

Pepperdine responded with an 8-0 run of their own to make it a one-possession game in the final two minutes