LOS ANGELES – Eli Scott lifted LMU men's basketball to a second-half comeback, scoring 26 in the 53-46 win. Despite scoring only 53 points, the Lions held Cal State Fullerton to a season-low 46 points. LMU shot 50 percent from the field in the second half to outscore the Titans by 13 in the final 20 minutes.
 
The Lions scored the first four points, and took an early 6-1 lead after back following back-to-back baskets at the rim for Ivan Alipiev, including a breakaway dunk. Alipiev scored 10 points in the game, with the other six coming at the free throw line, en route to his first career double-double. Alipiev hit double-digit rebounds for the first time in his career with 10.
 
An Eli Scott layup pushed the lead to 10-3 before Cal State Fullerton scored 14 unanswered to take their first lead of the game. The Titans pushed it to an eight-point lead until Scott scored his 10^th point of the half as time expired.
 
The Lions scored a season-low 23 points in the first half, following a 6-for-29 (20.7 percent) shooting effort. Despite the lowest first half scoring total of the season, LMU only trailed the Titans by six, 23-17, at intermission
 
LMU regained the lead midway through the second as half as Eli Scott scored four unanswered points to take a 31-30 lead with 10:57 remaining.
 
Scott's second half included 7-for-10 shooting and 16 of the team's 36 points. Scott totaled 26 points to follow up his 27-point performance on Thursday.
 
Erik Johansson hit LMU's only three-point field goal with 2:01 remaining in the game to extend LMU's lead to 45-39. The Lions finished 1-for-11 from long range after missing their first 10.

LMU's 10 steals are the third time this season that the team has reached the double-digit mark. Ivan Alipiev swiped a career-high five steals, which is the most by any Lion since Jeffery McClendon recorded a six-steal against Pepperdine in Jan. 2019.
 
LMU scored more than double CSUF's points in the paints, winning the scoring battle in the key, 32-16.
 
The Lions will have the week of Christmas off until Saturday night's game against Morgan State. December 28 will be a double dose of basketball as the women's team plays at 2:00 p.m. and the men follow at 7:00 p.m.