LOS ANGELES – LMU turned a three-point halftime lead into a 19-point win on Thursday night to defeat Portland, 79-60. This is the second win over Portland this season, with the first one coming in the West Coast Conference opener on Dec. 29 with the Lions winning by 20.
 
Lamaj Lewis and Keli Leaupepe hit opening minute shots to give the Lions a quick 4-0 lead. Portland then responded with a 9-2 run including seven unanswered points to take their first lead of the night. Lewis finished with a career-high 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting and a perfect 2-for-2 from three, while Leauepepe scored 11 and grabbed six boards.
 
Michael Graham put an end to the run with a post move. The two sides traded baskets as Lewis hit a three to cut it to one then Cam Shelton got to the rim to bring the Lions back within one with 10:42 to play. Shelton led the team with 20 points and three assists.
 
The Pilots rattled off a 9-0 run to take a double-digit lead with 8:52 on the clock, but the Lions fought back and closed the quarter scoring 20 of the final 27 points before intermission. 
 
Graham stole the ball and scored a breakaway dunk to tie the game at 28-all with 3:33 on the clock. After Portland took a lead with a dunk of their own, LMU scored the final five points off the half with Shelton tying it on a layup and Leaupepe hitting three from the free throw line.
 
Chance Stephens hit a second half three to push the Lions ahead by eight, but Portland quickly turned it into a one possession game with an 8-2 run, 44-42 with 13:29 to play.
 
From that point, LMU scored two back-to-back 12-0 runs as part of a 24-2 stretch to go ahead by 24 points with 5:26 to play. Several Lions were involved in the scoring outburst. Stephens opened the run then Rick Issanza had a pair of dunks that sandwiched a three from Jalin Anderson. The second 12-0 burst included three threes as Anderson, Lewis, and Shelton all hit from long range.
 
All 13 of Anderson's points came in the second half including a stretch where he scored the alst seven LMU points to take LMU down to the last two minutes.
 
LMU led by 24 points into the last minute of play before Coach Stan Johnson emptied his bench and put everyone dressed in the game.
 
The Lions shot 63.0 percent (17-for-27) in the second half, while holding the Pilots to 32.1 percent (9-for-28) from the field and 1-for-8 from three after intermission. Portland shot 3-for-18 (16.7 percent) from three in the game, compared to the 34.8 percent (8-for-23) for the Lions.
 
LMU grabbed a dozen more rebounds than Portland led by 10 from Michael Graham in his near double-double game. Graham scored eight points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting.
 
The Lions will remain at home on Saturday, hosting the PCH Cup. Pepperdine comes to Gersten Pavilion for an 8:00 PM showdown on the Bluff.

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