LOS ANGELES – LMU men's basketball struggled to put the ball in the basket in Thursday night's first West Coast Conference game. The Lions lost by only 11 to Santa Clara, 68-57, despite shooting 29.8 percent from the field and 14.3 percent from three.
 
The Lions started the game on an 8-0 run, as Alex Merkviladze and Will Johnston sandwiched a pair of threes around Michael Graham's dunk. Those two threes in the opening three-plus minutes accounted for half of LMU's total for the game.
 
Despite opening the game 2-for-9 from the field, Santa Clara responded with the next seven points to make it a one-point game until Dominick Harris hit all three free throws after being fouled on a long-range shot attempt.
 
The Broncos tied the game at the 10:33 mark of the first half, and from that point until halftime neither team led by more than four points until Santa Clara's three in the closing seconds to put the visitors ahead, 32-27.
 
Santa Clara built up a double-digit lead in the second half, but the Lions cut it down to five after a second chance putback by Lamaj Lewis with 14:17 showing on the clock. The Broncos then responded with a 19-5 run to take their largest lead of the game at 19 points with just over eight to play. LMU had its lowest production from the bench this season, with Lewis scoring five of the seven points from the non-starters.
 
LMU continued to play through it and responded with a 9-2 run of their own. Harris and Lars Thiemann opened the run with made baskets and Keli Leaupepe followed with four of his team-high 14 points.
 
The Lions ended the game on a 6-0 run started by an and-1 from Merkviladze to bring his scoring total to 13 points to go along with his team-high nine rebounds. Johnston hit a three in the closing seconds, LMU's fourth of the game.
 
LMU grabbed 11 offensive rebounds, bringing the total to 26 over the last two games. The Lions also committed single-digit turnovers for the second consecutive game after only giving the ball away eight times on Saturday.
 
Conference play continues Saturday night as Saint Mary's visits Gersten Pavilion for the first time since LMU beat the then-15th-ranked Gaels last February. The game will tip at 6:00 p.m. and air on ESPN+.
 
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