LOS ANGELES – The LMU men's basketball team started the game on a 15-2 run and never looked back in Thursday night's first matchup of the season. The Lions led by as many as 29 in the game before defeating the Pilots, 88-63.
 
Rick Issanza opened both the first half and the second half with slam dunks to set the tone early. LMU's second field goal of the game was also a dunk as Caleb Stone-Carrawell finished on the fast break with the slam. Issanza set a career-high mark with four blocks and finished one point off a career-high with nine points. Stone-Carrawell hit a team-high six shots and scored 14 points with back-to-back three assist games.
 
After Portland's first basket, the Lions rattled off the next 13 unanswered points, started by back-to-back threes from Jevon Porter. Porter recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. He also surpassed 500 rebounds for his collegiate career in the win.
 
Alex Merkviladze followed suit and hit back-to-back threes of his own to start an LMU run of 12 straight points that put the Lions ahead 30-6. Myron Amey, Jr. gave the home team the 24-point lead after converting an And-1 at the 9:19 mark. Merkviladze led the Lions with 16 points and added six rebounds and three assists.
 
The largest lead of the half came on a Will Johnston three with 3:10 remaining to increase the score to 42-17 in favor of the Lions. Johnston finished 3-for-4 from long range for 13 points and led the team with four assists.
 
LMU carried a 46-24 lead into the locker room at halftime after Amey hit a shot with just around two seconds left in the half. Amey scored 10 points off the bench and hit double-figures for the third consecutive game.
 
Portland pulled within 17 points twice in the first five minutes of the second half before LMU put together a 7-0 run that started on an Aaron McBride And-1.
 
Jan Vide hit his second three of the season to start a 9-2 run and give the Lions their largest lead of the night at 29 points with just over 10 minutes to play. Vide scored seven of LMU's 24 bench points.
 
George Tupy scored his first career points as the Lions emptied the bench late.
 
LMU's 88 points scored is the most in conference play this season. The seven blocks from the team match a season high.
 
Defensively, the Lions allowed just 21 made field goals by an opponent for the fifth time this season, and the fourth time in conference play. The Pilots hit just 35 percent of their shots, matching LMU's best defensive effort this year when Nevada also finished 21-for-60 from the field.
 
The Lions have now won four games in a row in conference play under Head Coach Stan Johnson for the second time in his career. Johnson's 2022-23 team won four consecutive West Coast Conference games, including the win in Spokane against then #6-ranked Gonzaga.
 
LMU will have a chance to extend their streak to five straight in the WCC this Saturday with a trip to San Diego. The two teams met on Jan. 18 with the Lions holding home court with a 77-70 win.
 
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