DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – LMU men's basketball improved to 7-1 following the Sunshine Slam victory over Ohio. The Lions erased a halftime deficit and outscored the Bobcats by 13 after intermission to win, 70-68.
 
The first half went back and forth with six ties and six lead changes, with neither team holding more than a four-point lead in the opening 20 minutes. The Lions shot 1-for-16 (6.3 percent) from three in the first half. Aaron McBride hit the only three of the first half. McBride finished the game a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor and made both his threes for 14 points. He grabbed eight rebounds, with three on the offensive end, before fouling out.
 
Rodney Brown hit his first field goal of the game at the 16:53 mark of the second half to push the Lions ahead with a corner three. Myron "MJ" Amey, Jr. also made his first field goal of the game to break a tie at the 16:20 mark and put the Lions up for good.
 
An extended 22-3 run that was capped off by 14 unanswered points pushed the lead up to a game-high 15 points. Rokas Jocius started the 14-0 stretch with a dunk before Brown and Amey followed with back-to-back threes. Brown scored 10 second half points and Amey scored nine after intermission to each finish in double-digits.

AJ Thomas scored 10 first half points and finished with a game-high 15 in the game including a big second half three. Over two games in Daytona Beach, Thomas scored 25 total points on 8-for-15 shooting.
 
Rick Issanza tied the program record and Sunshine Slam tournament record with seven blocked shots. Issanza joins former Lions Michael Graham (2/29/24), Petr Herman (2/25/17), and Silvester Kainga (12/2/98) with seven rejections in a game. Issanza also grabbed nine rebounds, with four of them offensive, to go along with his six points.
 
The Lions outscored the Bobcats in the paint, 36-18, and hit 5-for-10 from three after intermission. LMU also benefitted from 17 points off 17 Ohio turnovers.
 
LMU returns home for a Friday night game against Stony Brook. The game will be LMU's military appreciation game and tip at 7:00 PM.
 
Mobile Ticket Information & Entry Procedures:
To provide an efficient and safe experience for our fans; we utilize mobile ticketing delivery through the AXS app. Mobile ticketing allows fans to enter LMU athletic venues via their mobile app instead of a physical, paper ticket. Make sure to have your ticket available on your phone upon arrival to ensure the quickest entry process. For assistance, please call 310-338-LION (5466).

Donate Today:
Fans interested in making a contribution to the Lions Athletic Fund can do so by clicking here. Your gift will help provide a transformational student-athlete experience athletically, academically, and culturally for every LMU student-athlete. We appreciate your continued support of LMU Athletics. 
 
Follow Along With The Action:
For complete coverage of Loyola Marymount University athletics, visit LMULions.com. We encourage you to follow along with all the action on social media as well. Follow along by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, and following us on Instagram.