SPOKANE, Wash. – The LMU men's basketball team (8-16, 2-8 WCC) was four seconds away from heading into halftime down just five points to #2 Gonzaga (24-1, 9-0 WCC). The Bulldogs shot 60 percent in the game to edge the Lions, 85-67.
 
The Lions tied the game twice early on as Eli Scott buried a three to make it a 3-3 game and then Keli Leaupepe finished at the rim to tie the score at 5-all.
 
Scott scored another basket to make it a 9-7 game, before Gonzaga went on an 8-0 run to take their first double-digit lead with 13:09 to play in the first half.
 
The Lions stayed competitive, cutting it to a five-point game both at the 1:04 mark on a Lazar Zivanovic layup and with 19 seconds remaining on an Erik Johansson bucket. Corey Kispert hit a three with four seconds left in the half to make it a 38-30 game at the break.
 
LMU withstood 60.9 percent (14-for-23) shooting from the Zags in the first half to keep it within single digits at the break. Gonzaga attempted 12 first half free throws, with the Lions not visiting the stripe at all in the first 20 minutes.

Scott scored the first points of the second half to cut it to six, and then after a pair of Gonzaga free throws, Jordan Bell made it a six-point game again at 40-34 off a made layup.
 
Gonzaga used a 17-3 run to break the game open in the second half, extending their lead to 22 points. The home team's advantage grew to as high as 28 points, but LMU ended the game with the final eight points of regulation for the second straight game.
 
The Lions outrebounded the Zags, 31-25, and had two more assists than the nation's second-ranked team. LMU's bench outscored Gonzaga's by five, led by 12 from Ivan Alipiev.

Scott scored 15 points, on 6-for-9 shooting, to lead the Lions.
 
LMU will have Saturday off before shifting returning to the court for Thursday's home game against BYU. The game will tip at 8 p.m. and will air on either ESPN2 or ESPNU.