PORTLAND, Ore. – The LMU men's basketball team closed the regular season Saturday night with a 70-60 loss to Portland. The two teams were tied entering the final five minutes of play before the Pilots pulled away to take the game.
 
Justice Hill entered the game with 993 career points in his collegiate career and hit LMU's first two field goals, both from three, to bring his total to within one of the 1,000-point milestone and push LMU ahead 6-2.
 
Alex Merkviladze tied the game at 8-8 with a driving layup before Portland rattled off the next eight points. Merkviladze finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, and seven assits.
 
Lamaj Lewis started a 7-2 run with a pair of field goals in the paint, and Will Johnston brought the Lions within four with a three just before the midway point of the opening half.
 
With 5:59 on the clock, Hill his his third three of the half to reach the milestone mark. Hill led the Lions in scoring with 16 points.
 
LMU trailed by a dozen with a minute and half remaining in the half before Johnston hit back-to-back threes to cut the deficit in half and make it a 38-32 game at the break. All nine of Johnston's points came from three, and he teid for the team-high with seven rebounds.
 
The Lions opened the second half with the first eight points to take a 40-38 lead at the 17:41 mark. Aaron McBride and Merkviladze each hit a pair of field goals in the run to push LMU ahead 40-38.
 
After falling behind again, Hill hit his fourth three, and Michael Graham followed with a slam dunk to give LMU a 46-45 lead with 11:26 to play.
 
A late 6-0 run tied the game back up, entering the final five minutes. Merkviladze opened with a layup and Hill closed with a speedy layup of his own.
 
McBride scored twice down the stretch to set a new career-high with nine points on 4-for-6 shooting.
 
The Lions will await the official seedings from the West Coast Conference ahead of tournament play. The 2024 Credit Union 1 WCC Basketball Championship returns to the Orleans Arena.
 
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