LOS ANGELES - A historic day for Jasmine Jones came to an end with a 77-68 victory for the Lions over the Texas State Bobcats. Jones joins the elite 1,000 career points club with an electric performance as she led the Lions with 21 points on 7-8 from the field, 2-2 from downtown, and seven boards.
From the jump, it was clear that Jones was gunning for the illustrious mark and a win. After both squads traded layups, Jones knocked down a corner three, a shot she has only attempted 54 times in her career. Jones had her hands all over the next six points as she assisted Khari Clark, drove the baseline for a bucket, and finally passed the threshold, going up and under to the cup, with 6:22 remaining in the first quarter.
The Lions bench was ecstatic for the five-year veteran, but knew there was still work to be done. Meghan Mandel came off the bench and erupted in the paint, disrupting numerous plays and recording two major back-to-back blocks. The graduate student made her return to Gersten in prime Mandel fashion as she finished with five blocks and a perfect 6-6 from the line. After a pair of treys from the Lions, they went into the second quarter with a 25-17 lead.
The second quarter started off rather slow for both teams, until Aspyn Adams got hot from behind the arch and knocked down two more huge threes to push the Lions ahead by 16. Adams' return to Gersten for the first time in almost two years was crucial in building what would end up being a 14 point halftime lead.
Texas State had no answer for the Lions at the start of the third quarter as Adams, Clark, and Jones combined for a 12-4 run in the first five minutes. But the Bobcats would quickly flip the script as they began to eat away at the Lion's 22 point lead. With only one made field goal from the home team in the final five minutes, the Bobcats would capitalize and cut the deficit to just nine points.
Tensions were high in Hank's House as both teams gave blow-after-blow to start the fourth. The Lions saw their lead dwindle to six, bounce back up to eight, then down to just three points. Ariel Johnson had been quietly putting up points and snagging rebounds all game, but made a lot of noise as she hit a three, made a crucial steal, and followed it with a layup with just 48 seconds left on the clock. Johnson's clutch buckets and takeaway would leave her with an impressive 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 steals.
With 30 seconds remaining and the Lions up by nine, the Bobcats could only convert a single free throw, sealing the deal for the LMU victory. In a game where the Lion's once led by 22 points, the Bobcats certainly made a valiant comeback. Coach Hughes said she was proud that her squad "stayed together…fought through adversity…controlled what they could control, and in the end, the girls found a way to get it done."
The Lions will travel to Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday to face the Titans at 7 p.m. in their final non-conference matchup.
