LOS ANGELES – Despite five players scoring in double-figures, LMU men's basketball was unable to shoot a high percentage on Friday night against North Dakota. The Lions were held to 35 percent (25-for-71) from the field and 26 percent (8-for-31) from three in a 77-73 loss to North Dakota.
 
Jevon Porter gave LMU two early leads with knock down triples. He pushed the Lions ahead 3-2 and then again 10-9. Porter finished with 12 points and nine rebounds before fouling out late in the second half.
 
North Dakota maintained their lead for the remainder of the half, going up by seven on four different occasions.
 
Caleb Stone-Carrawell closed out the half with LMU's final seven points to bring the Lions within four and make it a 36-32 deficit at the half. Both Porter and Stone-Carrawell broke double-digits in the opening 20 minutes scoring 11 points apiece. Stone-Carrawell led the Lions with 17 points in his return to the starting lineup.
 
The Lions used a 12-2 second half run to take the team's first lead since 10-9. Will Johnston hit a pair of threes in the run to help LMU overcome the deficit and put the home team ahead 46-43 with 14:09 to play. Johnston scored all 15 of his points in the second half including a game-high three threes.
 
After the Fighting Hawks clawed back to tie it a 49-all, the crowd erupted as Jan Vide put LMU up four with a fastbreak dunk just before the midway point of the half. Vide also added a go-ahead three with 4:58 to play pushing the Lions back on top by a point. Vide scored eight of his 13 points in the second half to match his season-high and career-high.
 
The game flipped as North Dakota used scored 10 unanswered point to push ahead by nine with two minutes to play.

A converted and-1 by Alex Merkviladze and a Johnston three over the next 40 seconds cut the deficit down to three, with just over a minute remaining. Merkviladze scored 16 points on 6-for-12 shooting with eight rebounds.
 
LMU was unable to bring it back to a one possession game as North Dakota hit free throws and offensive rebounded down the stretch.
 
The Lions only committed six turnovers and capitalized on 16 points off turnovers thanks in part to seven steals.
 
Rick Issanza made his season debut and recorded two blocks in his five minutes of action. Matar Diop and Porter added two blocks apiece as the Lions recorded a season-high seven blocks as a team.
 
The Lions will now move to bracketed play in the Cancun Challenge, facing Belmont on Tuesday on CBS Sports Network. Depending on that result, LMU will play either Tulane or Wyoming the following day in Mexico in another nationally televised game.
 
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