LOS ANGELES – LMU men's basketball was electric in the second half and broke the game open on the inaugural game of the 2023-24 season. The Lions put together their highest-scoring game under Head Coach Stan Johnson, defeating Westcliff, 109-68.
 
Captain Alex Merkviladze opened the game with the first four points of the season for the Lions. Westcliff built up a lead as large as seven points before LMU responded with a 15-0 run to go back on top.
 
Back-to-back layups by Merkviladze and Keli Leaupepe started the run and then a knock down three by Dominick Harris tied the game at 26-26 with 5:38 to play in the half. Merkviladze and Will Johnston went to the rim to push the lead to four before Merkviladze punctuated the run with a three-pointer.
 
The Lions used a 27-8 extended run to end the half as Leaupepe hit a three on LMU's final possession before going into the locker room.
 
The second half started with LMU building the lead up to 23 points over the first four-plus minutes thanks to a 12-1 run coming out of intermission. Lars Thiemann personally accounted for the first five points of the second half.
 
The lead expanded to over 30 as Justin Wright paired seven of his points with threes from teammates Will Johnston, Merkviladze, and Harris.
 
Another massive run put together on both ends of the court ended with a Michael Graham dunk to give LMU a 42-point lead with 8:25 remaining. The Lions used a 16-3 burst to jump ahead 87-45.
 
The lead hit 44 points on four separate occasions as LMU closed out the Warriors in the season opener.
 
Seven Lions scored in double figures in total, led by Merkviladze tying his LMU-career high with 18 points.
 
The Lions forced 20 turnovers and held Westcliff to 26 percent shooting from three to build up the lead. The home side capitalized on 34 points off turnovers compared to just five allowed.
 
LMU more than doubled their opponent's production in the paint, scoring 66 points and allowing only 30.
 
The last time LMU his the century mark in scoring was against Westcliff in the season opener in 2019.

LMU will remain at home over the weekend and host Ivy League favorite Yale on Sunday in a 3:00 p.m. afternoon game.
 
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.