LOS ANGELES – For the first time since 1992, LMU men's basketball had a 40-point performance. Cam Shelton scored 11 points in the final three minutes to help erase an 11-point deficit and lead the Lions to a 90-88 come-from-behind victory to beat Pacific on Saturday night in the final home game of the season.
 
With the Lions trailing 86-78 and 2:53 remaining in the game, Shelton knocked down a deep three to beat the shot clock. That shot sparked a personal 9-0 run that spanned just over two minutes. 
 
Following the three, Pacific was charged for an offensive foul as Keli Leaupepe drew the charge on the defensive end of the court. Shelton then wasted no time to drive down the center of the lane and lay it in to bring the game to 86-80. After the Tigers missed on their offensive possession, Shelton again made it to the rim and drew contact where he knocked down both free throws.
 
After knocking down the pair, the Lions put the full court press on, resulting in Leaupepe knocking the ball of the leg of a Pacific ballhandler with under two to play. With the extra offensive possession, Leaupepe pulled an offensive rebound which turned into a tie-up resulting in Pacific ball.
 
The trap again proved to pay dividends and the Tigers could not get past half court before throwing the ball away into Shelton's hands. Shelton took the ball to the rim again and scored his 38^th point on a right-handed layup to bring the Lions within two, 86-84.
 
A key review gave LMU the ball as Shelton saved the ball before falling out of bounds to give possession on the rebound back to the Lions. After the referees awarded the ball back to the home team with 52.4 to play, and the senior Shelton having scored the last nine points, it was the freshman Chance Stephens who knocked down a corner three to give LMU its first lead of the night, 87-86, with 39.1 to play.
 
Pacific scored a pair of free throws to put an end to the 12-0 run. Playing from behind, Shelton scored the game-winner for his 40^th point driving to the basket and drawing contact for the And-1. Shelton missed the free throw before fellow senior Leaupepe grabbed the loose ball offensive rebound to keep possession with the Lions with 2.8 to play.
 
Leaupepe split the pair to finish with 11-points and 11-rebounds for his team-high fourth double-double of the season.
 
Shelton scored 20 points in each half and finished the game 13-for-21 from the field and 6-for-11 from three.
 
In total, four Lions scored in double-figures as Alex Merkviladze (12 points) and Jalin Anderson (11 points) added 23 combined points. Merkviladze helped LMU's bench score 31 points.
 
Both teams shot over 50 percent for the game as LMU hit 52 percent of their shots and Pacific finished at 58 percent.
 
LMU led for only 31 seconds in the game and erased as high as a 12-point deficit.
 
The final home game began with LMU honoring Shelton and Leaupepe as part of the senior class, along with Justin Ahrens and Kwane Marble.
 
The regular season will conclude on Feb. 25^th with a final road game in Malibu against Pepperdine.

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