SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Despite game-highs in both points and assists senior guard Ari Johnson, LMU lost its season-opener to UC Santa Barbara, 61-58.
 
Johnson scored 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting and dished out nine of LMU's 15 assists in the first game under Head Coach Aarika Hughes.

LMU won two of the four quarters, going ahead 14-12 after the first and outscoring the Gauchos 23-20 in the third.
 
Khari Clark added in dozen points, with half coming in the fourth quarter.
 
LMU held the lead twice in the final 10 minutes, once on the opening basket of the period from Nicole Rodriguez and again with 1:39 to go after the second of Clark's back-to-back jumpers.
 
The home side hit a goa-ahead three with 1:15 to play. LMU was unable to score again resulting in the three-point loss.
 
The Lions shot 48 percent from the field, compared to 39 percent from UCSB, but allowed nine more points to come off tournaments.

LMU's starting five of Kimora Sykes, Jasmine Jones, Rodriguez, Johnson, and Clark accounted for 50 of the team's 58 points.

The Lions will remain road heavy to start the year, heading to Oregon State on Friday to face the Beavers.