LAS VEGAS – Head Coach Stan Johnson's first WCC Tournament has come to an end as LMU fell in the quarterfinals to Saint Mary's on Saturday night. The Lions (13-9, 7-5 WCC) and Gaels (14-8, 4-6 WCC) each struggled from the field, with both shooting under 40 percent in the 52-47 final.
 
The two teams combined 1-12 from the field as Eli Scott's jumper in the paint was the only made basket of the game. SMC opened 0-for-7. LMU pushed ahead 7-3 as Ivan Alipiev hit a layup and Kodye Pugh hit a corner triple. 
 
Saint Mary's then responded with an 11-2 run to take the lead back and hold it until halftime. LMU cut it to a one-point game with two minutes to go in the half, but Saint Mary's hit a layup in the closing seconds to take a 24-21 lead into intermission.
 
Eli Scott found Mattias Markusson on the opening play of the second half to bring LMU within a point again, 24-23, but the Gaels used an 8-0 run over the next 7:41 to extend the lead to a game-high nine. Markusson, with stitches in his legs from earlier in the game, finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
 
Joe Quintana knocked down a three to stop the run by the Gaels. Another Quintana triple with 7:33 to play capped a 10-2 run that brought the score to 34-33 with LMU down only a point.

After a made free throw by SMC, Scott tied the game at 35-all with 7:33 to play. Another Saint Mary's run, with seven unanswered points, gave the Gaels a 42-35 advantage with 4:44 on the clock.
 
Scott scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds. His career in the WCC Tournament is one of the all-time best at LMU. Scott finishes third all-time with 55 rebounds behind only Hank Gathers (85) and Ashley Hamilton (69). His 88 career points in the Tournament is seventh-most all time.
 
The Lions would cut it to a three-point game once more down the stretch, but was unable to ever take a second half lead. Scott scored the team's final eight points and 12 of the final 14 for the Lions.