LOS ANGELES – Three Lions finished with double digits in Saturday's loss to the Portland Pilots, 75-63.
 
Alexis Mark was the top scorer for the Lions, contributing 17 points and leading the team with eight rebounds. Following closely was Amaya Oliver, who scored 16 points, and Nicole Rodriguez, who added 12 to the tally.
 
Portland scored first, but the Lions responded quickly with a layup by Mark. The game stayed competitive until the Pilots went on a 13-0 run, finishing the quarter with a 23-9 lead over the Lions.
 
In the second quarter, the Lions struggled putting points on the board, yet a layup from Cynthia Ezeja pushes LMU into double digits. The Pilots outperformed the Lions in hustle during this period, shooting 50% from the field. Portland maintained their impressive field goal percentage throughout the first half, leaving LMU trailing at halftime with a score of 45-22.
 
In the third quarter, the Lions found themselves trailing by 30 points, but a late surge led by Mark and Oliver allowed them to narrow the deficit, scoring the last five points.
 
Entering the fourth quarter with a significant deficit, the Lions displayed admirable hustle. They managed to put up 23 points, cutting the gap to just 11 at one point. Rodriguez was a standout contributor, scoring 10 points, shooting 4-6 from the field and 3-5 from three-point range. 
Notably, this quarter marked the Lions highest shooting performance of the night, with a team percentage of 57.1%. Despite their effort, the clock ran out, and Portland secured the victory with a final score of 75-63.
 
Looking ahead, the Lions next challenge is set for next Friday, Mar. 8, as they enter the WCC Championship tournament.