CANCUN, Mexico – LMU men's basketball played their best game of the season to open the 2024 Cancun Challenge. The Lions shot over 44 percent (26-for-59) and 40.9 (9-for-22) from three to win, 65-49.

LMU led by as many as 24 points and hit the most field goals (31) and recorded the most steals (8 since opening night and grabbed a season-high 44 rebounds. Defensively, the Lions kept an opponent to a season-low shooting night from both the field (36.5 percent) and from three (31.0 percent).
 
The hot shooting night was led by the play of point guard Will Johnston. The senior captain shot 8-for-15 (53.3 percent) from the field and 4-for-9 (41.0 percent) from three for this second 20-plus point game of the season. Johnston scored a game-high 22 points and recorded three steals.
 
Belmont scored an opening minute layup before the Lions responded with an 8-0 run over the next three minutes. Alex Merkviladze and Johnston each hit threes to start the run before Merkviladze got to the lane with a layup to bring the score to 8-2. Merkviladze hit double-digits for the third-straight game with 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting.
 
The Bruins responded with an 8-0 run of their own, which came as part of an 11-2 streak to retake the lead by three. Over the next seven minutes, LMU flipped the score back with a 14-2 run that featured points from five different players and led by back-to-back layups from Jan Vide.
 
Caleb Stone-Carrawell's layup with 3:36 to play in the half gave the Lions their first double-digit lead of the night, 32-21. The Lions kept the 11-point edge going into the half and carried a 36-25 lead into intermission. Stone-Carrawell scored nine points in his starting role.
 
After Belmont opened the second half with a layup, an 11-2 run by LMU highlighted by Matar Diop's dunk pushed the lead to 47-29 less than four minutes into the second half.
 
Lamaj Lewis expanded the lead to 20 points after hitting back-to-back shots in just 20 seconds to push LMU ahead 51-31.
 
Myron Amey, Jr. started another 11-3 run with a three to expand the lead to 24 points with less than 10 to play, the largest lead of the night. Amey hit multiple threes for the first time since opening night and finished with eight points.
 
Belmont made a final push to cut the deficit to a dozen before Jevon Porter stopped the run with a bucket on his way to a 16 and 12 double-double.
 
The Lions will play for the 2024 Cancun Challenge title on Wednesday night against Wyoming. The Cowboys erased a 16-point second half deficit to beat Tulane by one in the first game of the Riviera Division bracket.

The game will be played on CBS Sports Network from the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya Convention Center at 8:30 PM ET / 5:30 PM PT.
 
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