LOS ANGELES – For the first time in Stan Johnson's LMU career, the Lions have won five straight basketball games. After opening the season at 1-3, LMU has closed out non-conference action winning seven of their final eight games to post an 8-4 record. The Lions won their fifth game of this homestand with an 85-69 victory over North Alabama on Sunday afternoon.
 
Caleb Stone-Carrawell had a career-night. Stone-Carrawell topped his scoring high with 28 points and hit a career-best 11 field goals and five threes. His previous career-high scoring mark was 24 points scored against SIUE on Feb. 24, 2022 as a member of Austin Peay State University
 
LMU used an 18-3 run to turn a four-point deficit at 7-3 into a 21-10 lead. Rick Issanza started the run with a dunk. Stone-Carrawell hit two threes, while Myron Amey, Jr. and Alex Merkviladze each hit from downtown during the stretch. Jan Vide added a pair of jump shots.
 
After North Alabama pulled within three with 3:26 remaining before halftime, LMU closed the half on a 9-2 run capped off by another Stone-Carrawell three.
 
Will Johnston opened the second half with a three before North Alabama responded with a 10-2 run over the next 4:34 to bring the score within five points. Johnston scored 11 points and added to his assist-to-turnover ratio with two dimes and no turnovers.
 
Merkviladze and Stone-Carawell put an end to the run with back-to-back layups.
 
LMU used an 8-0 run, highlighted by threes from Amey and Stone-Carrawell and punctuated by another Issanza dunk, to build a 15-point lead, 63-48, with 10:17 to play.
 
The lead stayed in double-digits for the remainder of the game and grew to as large as 18 points on consecutive jumpers from Jevon Porter. Ten of Porter's 14 points came in the second half. Porter also added nine rebounds and eight assists.
 
Lamaj Lewis added a season-high six points in his 16 minutes off the bench.

LMU made 13 threes on a season-high 33 attempts and held North Alabama to 3-for-20 (15 percent) shooting from long range. In the last two games, LMU opponents have shot 6-for-41 (14.6 percent) from three.
 
LMU's overall shooting percentage of 50.8 percent (33-for-65) is the highest against a Division I opponent this season.  The Lions held North Alabama to 35.9 percent (23-for-64) from the field. Only Nevada finished with a lower shooting percentage against LMU in the non-conference at 35 percent (21-for-60).
 
Merkviladze became the 30^th member of LMU's prestigious 500 rebound club. With his 12-rebound double-double, he has now grabbed 510 rebounds since arriving to LMU in 2021. With his 10 points, Merkviladze has now recorded two double-doubles this season.
 
The Lions will return to play with WCC action beginning on Dec. 28 at San Francisco.
 
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