LOS ANGELES – The LMU men's basketball pulled out another home game win, defeating the University of San Diego on Tuesday night. The Lions (7-4, 2-1 WCC) topped the Toreros (1-6, 0-3 WCC) in overtime, 72-69.
Joe Quintana opened the game with a triple to give the Lions the early lead. Quintana scored 15 points on 4-for-6 shooting, coming off his scoreless game on Saturday.
San Diego took their first lead of the game on an 8-0 run midway through the opening half. With three minutes to play before halftime, the Toreros led by as many as nine points before LMU cut it down to a three-point game at intermission, 36-33, as Quintana knocked down a three in the final second before the break.
The visitors extended their lead with two layups out of the gates to open the second half, but nine unanswered points pushed LMU back ahead, 42-40.
Eli Scott scored back-to-back layups to push LMU to a 51-44 lead with 9:52 remaining in regulation. Scott led all scorers with 20 points, adding seven rebounds and six assists to his stat line.
San Diego scored the next six points to cut it to one, ultimately tying the score with a back-to-back layups to end regulation at 61-all.
After falling behind from a pair of free throws to open the extra period,
Dameane Douglas scored a layup to tie it and
Joe Quintana added the next four points. Douglas scored 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
LMU held the lead the rest of the way, with the final seven points coming from the free throw line before winning 72-69.
Ivan Alipiev dished out a career-best seven assists and led the Lions with a pair of steals.
Gersten Pavilion will host two more West Coast Conference games this week as the Lions host Saint Mary's on Thursday and then Santa Clara on Saturday, before traveling to Portland for a Monday afternoon contest.
LMU opened the 2018-19 season with eight consecutive wins at home to open the season, a feat the last have a chance to match on Thursday against the Gaels.
The overtime win was the first for the Lions since topping McNeese State at home in Nov. of 2017.
