LOS ANGELES – LMU men's basketball welcomed fans back into Gersten Pavilion on Tuesday night to officially open the 2021-22 college basketball season. The Lions fell to Chattanooga, 75-64, in a game that featured the 1,500^th point scored by senior Eli Scott.
 
Trailing 4-2, Keli Leaupepe hit a three from the top of the arc to push the Lions ahead, 5-4. After the Mocs took the lead back, Jalin Anderson hit back-to-back jumpers for a personal 5-0 run that gave LMU the 10-8 advantage.
 
Joe Quintana hit a three with 12:08 on the clock to end a 7-0 run by the visitors. Cam Shelton added a three of his own, and Leaupepe muscled his man down on the next possession to give LMU a 20-18 advantage.
 
After the Mocs tied the score, Lamaj Lewis converted a three-point play to put LMU back in front.
 
Anderson then went off, accounting for seven of the next nine points for LMU and finishing the first half with a dozen. LMU led 35-33 at the break following the five first half threes and limiting Chattanooga to 2-for-9 from long range.
 
The threes continued coming out of the gates, as Leaupepe buried triples of the first two possessions for the Lions.
 
Chattanooga used an 10-0 run to take the lead back, 48-42, with 13:40 on the clock. Leaupepe ended the scoring drought with an offensive rebound putback.
 
Back-to-back threes pushed the Mocs up 10 with 8:02 remaining. Scott answered with back-to-back layups to make it a two-possession game with 6:33 to play.
 
The Lions were able to make it a one-possession game as Lewis went coast-to-coast to score a layup and cut the deficit to 61-59 with 1:43 remaining.
 
The Mocs quickly responded with the next eight points to secure the game.
 
Scott's 1,500^th point as a Lion came in the first half on a pair of free throws. The senior finished with his 22^nd career double-double after scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Anderson finished with a dozen points as well.

Leaupepe led the Lions with 17 points and equaled Scott with five offensive rebounds.
 
The game featured 10 ties and nine lead changes.

LMU will return to action on Saturday, hosting Arizona Christian at 4:00 PM at Gersten Pavilion.