STOCKTON, Calif., -- Ariel Johnson led the Loyola Marymount University women's basketball team to an 81-71 win over the University of the Pacific Thursday night. The redshirt junior guard also set her career high in points with 23, and in three-pointers made with five. Johnson's baskets from behind the arch led the team to tie for first place all-time in LMU history with 13 team threes. 
 
"Great team win tonight," said head coach Charity Elliott. "So proud of our execution on offense and how we stayed and played together!  We just want to keep getting better every day and this team is buying into that mindset."
 
The Lions set the tone with the three-pointers from tip-off, as the first four made shots of the game were from behind the arch, two coming from Chelsey Gipson, one from Johnson and one from Nicole Rodriguez. Natalia Klimek kept the theme going, closing out the first with another three, totaling four for the quarter. 
 
Opening up the second quarter down by just one point, the Lions responded, and quickly took a lead. The Tigers battled, but two more threes would give the Lions a lead, closing out the half up 40-35. 
 
LMU took its first double-digit lead in the third quarter, and Ciera Ellington hit her first three and the Lions left the third with the Tigers trailing 58-48.
 
The Lions built on their momentum in the fourth quarter, extending the lead to 14 points several times throughout the quarter. LMU closed out the game with a double-digit win, 81-71. 
 
Johnson led the team in points and in three-pointers made. Klimek set her career high in points with 16, while also making three shots from behind the arch. Khari Clark had 14 points, and shot 87.5 percent from the field. 
 
Meghan Mandel and Gipson both led the team in assists with five, a career high for Mandel and a season high for Gipson. Gipson also set a season high in steals, with four. Mandel led the team in rebounds with eight, and in blocks with four. 
 
The Lions dominated the Tigers in several categories, such as field goal percentage, with 48.3 percent compared Pacific's 42.9, from behind the arch, with 59.1 percent compared to the Tiger's 44.4, in assists, leading 19-13, in blocks, leading 5-1, in steals leading 10-8, in bench points 24-8 and points off of turnovers, 15-12. 
 
The Lions will be back in action on Saturday to take on Saint Mary's College in Moraga, Calif.