SPOKANE, Wash. — In a back-and-forth battle on the road, the Lions traded punches with the Bulldogs throughout the afternoon before falling in double overtime, 87–80, as Gonzaga outlasted LMU in a gritty conference opener that came down to the final possessions of regulation and beyond.
Maya Hernandez paced the Lions with a team-high 18 points to go along with five rebounds and two assists, anchoring LMU's interior presence. Allison Clarke followed with 17 points, including four made threes, while finishing a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line and adding two assists and a steal. Jess Lawson contributed 12 points and four rebounds with two assists and two steals, and Carly Heidger added 11 points and five boards while going 4-for-4 at the stripe.
Gonzaga opened the game with an early 5–0 burst before the Lions responded at the free-throw line, as Lawson went 2-for-2 to put LMU on the board. Hernandez followed with a pair of strong finishes at the rim, and later a fast-break layup off a turnover tied the game at 7–7. Ogot added a late driving layup to keep the Lions close, with the Bulldogs holding a 15–11 lead after one.
The second quarter saw LMU settle in offensively, generating second-chance opportunities and steadying the attack at the stripe. Jones converted a second-chance layup in the paint, and the Lions went 4-for-4 at the free-throw line in the period. Clarke then buried back-to-back threes in the closing minutes, swinging momentum and sending LMU into halftime with a 29–28 advantage.
Clarke opened the third quarter by knocking down three free throws after drawing contact on the perimeter, and Matic followed with a mid-range jumper as the Lions continued to execute in the half-court. Heidger later added two free throws to keep LMU within striking distance, but Gonzaga closed the period on a late run to take a 45–42 edge into the fourth.
The Lions battled through a tightly contested final quarter, with Lawson hitting a pull-up jumper in the lane and Hernandez converting a three-point play in traffic to keep LMU level down the stretch. The Bulldogs answered with late baskets, and the Lions' final look at the rim rolled out to send the game into overtime tied 63–63.
LMU opened the first overtime with an 11–2 surge, fueled by paint touches, second-chance scoring and free-throw trips from Clarke and Heidger. Ogot added a layup off a turnover to extend the lead to 73–67 before Gonzaga rallied back. Reus Piza hit a tough turnaround jumper and Heidger scored again inside to push the Lions ahead 75–72, but a late Bulldog jumper tied the game at 75–75 and forced a second overtime.
Both sides continued to trade clutch possessions into double overtime, with the Bulldogs eventually creating separation in the final minute to secure the win.
LMU remains in the Pacific Northwest and will face Washington State on Tuesday, Dec. 30, at 6 p.m. PT.
