LOS ANGELES – LMU cut it down to a two-point game with less than a minute to play but were unable to complete the come-from-behind win on Thursday night at Pacific. Despite Eli Scott's 30-point effort, the Lions dropped the game to Santa Clara, 84-80.
 
Santa Clara jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but the Lions had a quick response scoring the next nine points to take the lead. Cam Shelton hit a three to put the Lions on the board. Scott followed with back-to-back layups to tie the game and Kwane Marble II gave LMU its first lead with a layup of his own at the 14:56 mark.
 
After a dunk on the other end tied the game at 9-all, Marble hit a go-ahead three to push LMU ahead 12-9.
 
A 13-5 run was sparked as Joe Quintana was fouled on a three-point attempt and hit all three free throws. After Santa Clara matched it on the opposite end with a three-pointer, LMU's response came in the form of back-to-back threes from Keli Leaupepe and Cam Shelton. 
 
Alex Merkviladze scored at the rum to push LMU ahead by seven and then after a pair of free throws from the visitors, Leaupepe hit a three to give the Lions an eight-point advantage with 4:13 on the clock.
 
The Broncos closed the half on a 13-4 run, with LMU's lone field goal over the final 5:50 coming from Leaupepe's layup with 17 seconds remaining to make it a 35-34 halftime score.
 
Santa Clara continued the run coming out of the locker room, scoring 14 of the first 16 points of the second half.
 
Scott scored 22 of his 30 points in the second half, including a stretch where he scored the last 11 LMU points.
 
Shelton hit a three on a Scott assist to cut the deficit back to single digits with 9:43 to play. A converted and-1 from Scott made it a five-point game less than a minute later. Scott hit 10-for-11 free throws in the game.
 
Quintana hit a pair of threes late with the second of the two coming with 6:04 on the clock to bring the Lions within four. Alex Merkviladze scored in the paint on LMU's next possession, but the Santa Clara lead grew back up to 10.
 
A late surge coming from a 9-2 run made it a one-possession game with 35.5 seconds remaining. Jalin Anderson hit a pair of layups with the second of the two making it a 78-76 game after a foul gave hit a three-point opportunity. Anderson missed the and-1 but grabbed his own offensive board and drew another foul sending him back to the line for two.
 
The Broncos hit all six of their free throws down the stretch to secure victory. Scott hit his 10^th field goal and hit the 30-point mark with a driving layup just before time expired.
 
The Lions will quickly turn around for a road trip to Stockton to face Pacific on Saturday night.