RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Lions handled a late run in the first round of the Roman College Basketball Invitational to survive and advance. Despite leading for the majority of the second half against Cal Baptist, the Lions (21-11) needed a game-winning three-point play from center Mattias Markusson to clinch the victory.
 
"It was a good scout by (Assistant Coach) Jeff Strohm," said Head Coach Mike Dunlap. "We kept them off the three point line, and made them penetrators in the first half. In the second half we knew they would give us their best shot and it came down to a one-possession game. We thought we could gain an advantage with the high-low, and we dumped it into Mattias and there he was. He made a hook and made his free throw. The thing (free throws) that really hurt us three years ago now has won us a lot of games."
 
CBU (16-15) tied the game for the first time in the second half with a three pointer with 1:27 remaining and took the lead on a pair of free throws with 44.2 on the clock, part of an 8-2 run.
 
With James Batemon at the top of the key, the senior guard found Markusson in the post for the game-winner with 31 seconds remaining to retake the lead, 56-55. Markusson finished with a team-high 13 points, and added six rebounds.

The Lancers called timeout and wound down the clock for two final shots in the last five seconds, missing both potential game-winners.
 
To open the game, Jordan Bell scored LMU's first four points and equaled his season-high with two steals in the first four minutes of game play as both teams started the game slowly offensively.
 
LMU took the lead with a 9-0 run started by Joe Quintana triple. Quintana would go on to hit a big three late in the game to put LMU up four with 2:35 to play in the second half.
 
The lead grew to as high at 12 in the first half on two separate occasions for the Lions. Dameane Douglas scored all 10 of his points in the first half, and grabbed six rebounds throughout the game.
 
LMU held CBU to 26.9 percent (7-for-26) shooting in the first half to take a 29-21 lead into intermission.
 
After CBU cut it to a one-point game in the second half, Eli Scott responded with the first four unanswered points of a 6-0 run that gave LMU a 37-30 lead. Scott stuffed the stat sheet for LMU, totaling 10 points, a team-high nine rebounds, three assists, and a steal.