LOS ANGELES – The Lions pulled off a thrilling win against Washington State on Saturday afternoon, edging the Cougars 79-76.

Naudia Evans was unstoppable, dropping a career-high 37 points, which now puts her second on LMU's single-game scoring record list. She also chipped in three rebounds and four assists.

Brandi Williams had a solid game, finishing with 14 points and seven boards, while Maya Hernandez added 13 points and five rebounds. Carly Heidger rounded things out with 10 points and seven rebounds.

The Lions came out strong in the first quarter, shooting 56.3% from the floor and hitting 50% of their threes. Evans caught fire early, going on a personal 7-0 run to give LMU a 10-point lead. She ended the quarter with 13 points. But WSU answered back with a 9-0 run of their own, cutting LMU's lead to just one at the buzzer, 20-19.

The Cougars carried that momentum into the second quarter, scoring the first five points and outshooting the Lions 42.1% to 33.3%. WSU outscored LMU 19-14 in the quarter and went into halftime up four, 38-34.

In the third, LMU turned it up on both ends. They attacked the paint hard and made it count at the free-throw line, going 15-18 for the quarter. Evans stayed hot, dropping another 13 points in the quarter with nine of them coming from the stripe. The Lions clawed their way back to take a slim 59-56 lead heading into the fourth.

The final quarter was an exciting one. LMU stretched the lead to six after Evans hit a free throw following a layup. Both teams traded buckets down the stretch, with WSU closing the gap to one multiple times in the final minute. Then, with nine seconds left, the Cougars drained a three to make it a one-point game. Brandi Williams came in clutch, sinking two free throws to ice the game and secure the win for the Lions.

Next, the Lions face the Pepperdine Waves in Malibu, CA on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 4 PM.