GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands Classic opened on Sunday with LMU men's basketball and Stephen F. Austin matching up in the opening round of the tournament. After the Lions led the entire first half, the Lumberjacks outscored LMU after intermission to take the game, 86-76.
 
The Lions hit six threes in the first half, started by Alex Merkviladze's opening basket. Dominick Harris went on a personal 6-0 run with a pair of triples to increase LMU's lead to 17-7 at the 12:35 mark. Both Merkviladze and Harris went three-for-three from long range in the opening 20 minutes, with Merkviladze finishing the game with 13 points.
 
Justice Hill gave the Lions their largest lead of the first half with the last four points of a 6-0 run that pushed the lead to 11 just before the 10-minute mark.
 
Justin Wright added nine first-half points including the final two free throws before intermission that made it a 39-33 game.
 
Lars Thiemann hit a pair of layups early in the second half, which Wright followed with a jumper to push the lead back up to 11 less than three minutes into play resuming. Wright scored 14 points and led the team with two steals.
 
The 'Jacks responded with a 17-4 run to take their first lead of the game. Hill put an end to that scoring stretch and put LMU back on top with a made three off a Merkviladze steal. 
 
The lead would change five times in the second half with the teams tying the score on six different occasions. Hill tied the game with threes at both the 8:19 mark and 7:35 mark to keep the score even after the Lions fell behind by three.
 
Hill finished with 20 of his team-high 24 points in the second half, but SFA's 57.7 percent shooting after intermission flipped the score in favor of the Lumberjacks and ultimately decided the game.
 
Keli Leaupepe led the Lions with eight rebounds and four rebounds.
 
With the result, LMU will play in the 11:00 AM local time game, 8:00 AM Pacific Time, against Oakland University. The tournament will continue to be broadcast on FloHoops.
 
Mobile Ticket Information & Entry Procedures:
To provide an efficient and safe experience for our fans; we utilize mobile ticketing delivery through the AXS app. Mobile ticketing allows fans to enter LMU athletic venues via their mobile app instead of a physical, paper ticket. Make sure to have your ticket available on your phone upon arrival to ensure the quickest entry process. For assistance, please call 310-338-LION (5466).

Donate Today:
Fans interested in making a contribution to the Lions Athletic Fund can do so by clicking here. Your gift will help provide a transformational student-athlete experience athletically, academically, and culturally for every LMU student-athlete. We appreciate your continued support of LMU Athletics. 
 
Follow Along With The Action:
For complete coverage of Loyola Marymount University athletics, visit LMULions.com. We encourage you to follow along with all the action on social media as well. Follow along by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, and following us on Instagram