LOS ANGELES – Erik Johansson hit a three with 2:47 to play to tie the game at 53-53, but those were the final points of the game for LMU men's basketball as Pacific closed on a 7-0 run. The Lions (10-19, 4-11 WCC) dropped the penultimate game of the regular season, 60-53, to University of Pacific (22-9, 10-5).
 
Seikou SIsoho Jawara opened the scoring with a top of the arch triple, as LMU jumped ahead 5-0 and 7-2 on the Tigers.
 
After falling behind for the first time with 12:15 on the first half clock, Eli Scott got to the rim to tie the score and Keli Leaupepe buried a triple to jump the Lions back on top, 14-11. Leaupepe scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Scott scored eight points and corralled nine boards.
 
Back-to-back layups late in the half put Pacific in front, but the Lions closed out the half with five unanswered points to take a 26-23 lead into the break. Jordan Bell knocked down a jumper and Parker Dortch hit a three to push LMU ahead.
 
Coming out of the Locker room, Erik Johansson hit six of LMU's first eight second half points. The senior scored 11 points in the game and will be recognized prior to his final home game on Saturday afternoon.
 
Sisoho Jawara scored a team-high 12 points for the Lions, and hit a three at the 14-minute mark to push LMU up five, 39-34. The Tigers responded with the next nine points to go ahead, 43-39, with 9:12 remaining.
 
LMU kept the game within six until a pair of Leaupepe free throws were followed by Johansson's third three of the half and 110^th of his career to even the score.
 
The Tigers kept LMU from scoring down the stretch to take the game and secure a top-four seed in next week's WCC Championships. LMU will either play as the eight-seed or can jump into the seven position with a Santa Clara loss and an LMU home win on Saturday.
 
Saturday's final game will be tipped at 5 p.m., following the 4 p.m. statue unveiling ceremony for Hank Gathers. Members of the 1989-90 Elite Eight team will be recognized at halftime of the game.