LOS ANGELES – Dominick Harris and Alex Merkviladze each scored their most points on Wednesday night since joining the LMU men's basketball program. Harris led the way with 31 and Merkviladze finished with 22 to lead the Lions to a 27-point victory over Central Arkansas, 90-63.
 
The Lions opened the game with the first seven points before Harris scored his first points. Harris went on a personal 8-3 run knocking down his first three shots of the game and extending LMU's lead to eight. Harris scored 17 of his 31 points in the first half.
 
Central Arkansas used a 10-2 run to take a 29-26 lead with 4:20 remaining on the clock. The Lions responded with the next seven points. Lars Thiemann and Harris combined for the final 12 points of the half. LMU took a 36-31 lead into the break.
 
The Bears opened the second half on a 9-0 run to take a four-point lead. Harris ended the scoring drought with a three for his 20^th point of the night.
 
LMU cut the game back to one on a Michael Graham offensive rebound tip slam, but it was the 19-0 run that followed that put the Lions in the driver's seat. Central Arkansas did not score for nearly seven and a half minutes. Harris shot 7-for-9 from the behind the arc and started that run with a three. 
 
The lead grew to 21-points just before the 4:00 minute mark as Merkviladze hit a three. Merkviladze scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half and shot 6-for-12 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line over the final 20 minutes.

LMU closed the game on a 9-0 run as Thiemann dunked the ball for his 12^th point of the night. Lamaj Lewis scored on his lone shot of the game, and Justin Wright and Will Johnston hit shots over the final minute and a half.

Noah Taits checked into the game for the final minute and thirteen seconds for his first appearance as a Lion.
 
The Bears shot 25.9 percent (7-for-29) from three, including 2-for-11 (18.2 percent) from deep in the second half. Conversely, LMU shot 50.0 percent (13-for-26) from three in the game and 61.5 percent (8-for-13) in the second half.
 
The Lions matched their season-high mark from the free throw line, shooting 19-for-22 for an 86.4 percent mark.
 
LMU doubled up UCA in both second-chance points and bench points and capitalized with 27 points off turnovers after allowing only 12.
 
This is the first three-game win streak of the season for the Lions, who will now travel to Nevada for the lone true road game of the non-conference portion of the schedule. The Lions will tip-off in Reno on Saturday at 7:00 PM.
 
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