LOS ANGELES – LMU had a chance to send the game to overtime for the second straight year against Saint Mary's but could not get a shot up in the closing seconds before ultimately falling, 68-64, on Saturday night.
 
Saint Mary's scored the game's first two baskets, but LMU responded with the next four points as Lars Thiemann tied the score less than four minutes into the game.
 
The Gaels built up their largest lead of the half at six points with twelve minutes to play before the Lions rattled off the next five points as Dominick Harris drained a corner three and Noah Taitz followed with a jump shot to pull within one, 14-13.
 
The Lions pulled within a point two more times in the opening 20 minutes, once as Alex Merkviladze made a three with 8:47 on the clock and again on a Harris jumper with 5:40 remaining.
 
Will Johnston scored LMU's final five points before halftime including a converted And-1. Johnston scored 11 of the 31 first half points for the Lions, who went into the locker room trailing, 35-31.
 
It took less than a minute into the second half for LMU to tie the game at 35-all as Merkviladze and Harris scored on consecutive possessions. After Saint Mary's took a brief lead, Thiemann tied the game with a running layup.
 
A 5-0 run gave LMU their first lead of the night as Harris hit a jumper and Keli Leaupepe followed with the go-ahead three at the 16:22 mark. The run extended into a 9-2 run as Thiemann and Justin Wright gave the Lions a four-point lead, 46-42, with 13:25 remaining.
 
From that point, Saint Mary's responded with 11 unanswered points of their own to flip the score into a 7-point advantage for the visitors.
 
Nearly eight minutes passed without an LMU field goal, as the Lions scored exclusively from the free throw line until Johnston's made three-pointer at the 5:36 mark. After Saint Mary's scored on the other end, a 7-0 run gave the lead back to the Lions highlighted by Johnston's second three of the game. 
 
The game featured six lead changes, including the next three possessions. Saint Mary's hit a layup on one end, Wright followed with a go-ahead layup on the other, and then the Gaels closed out the game with five final free throws.
 
The Lions had a chance to tie as a missed free throw was rebounded by Merkviladze, and outletted to Harris on the move in a 66-64 game. The Lions lost possession and were forced to foul again with one second on the clock giving SMC their final two free throws.
Johnston led the team with 19 points and six assists and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Both Harris and Wright scored 11 points in defeat. Thiemann went 4-for-5 with eight points for his best scoring performance over the last six games.

The Lions held Saint Mary's to 0-for-9 from long range in the second half and 3-for-16 (18.8 percent) in the game.
 
LMU will close out this six-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 13 against Pacific.
 
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