LAS VEGAS – For the first time in program history, LMU Men's Basketball shot above 60 percent in a WCC Tournament game. The Lions shot 63.2 percent (36-for-57) from the field to break a record that stood for over 30 years in Friday night's second round win over San Diego. The Lions scored 100 points for the first time this to eliminate San Diego, 100-74.
 
Caleb Stone-Carrawell opened the first and second half with field goals to start the offense in each period.

After San Diego took a 6-2 lead, the Lions rattled off 12 unanswered points. The run started with a Will Johnston three and extended to a 24-5 run over the next 7:50 with five-straight points. Johnston led the Lions with 27 points on 10-for-14 shooting and 7-for-8 from long range.
 
The Toreros then went on a 16-2 run of their own to turn a 15-point deficit into a one-point game.
 
The Lions ended the half on a 14-3 run, with Johnston hitting a three to start each set of 7-0 spurts. Stone-Carrawell ended the half with the final four points including a jumper with 1.6 seconds left off an inbounds pass to give the Lions a 12-point halftime lead, 42-30.
 
LMU hit their first seven shots of the second half capped by Jevon Porter's three to push the lead to 21. Porter scored 14 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting night and two threes.
 
The Toreros had one final 11-0 run in them to pull back within 11. The Lions responded with a 27-10 run over the next 6:26 to push the lead to 28 points.
 
Rick Issanza scored all eight of his points in the second half on 4-for-5 shooting.
 
A late layup gave Jovan Ristic his first field goal since opening night.
 
Aaron McBride pushed the Lions to the century mark with a jump shot in the final minute. McBride finished with 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting and four rebounds.
 
LMU's 36 made field goals were the most against Division I opponents this season. The Lions assisted on 26 baskets, led by eight from Johnston.
 
The Lions shot 16-for-18 (88.9 percent) from the free throw line, led by a perfect 8-for-8 performance from Alex Merkviladze. Half of Merkviladze's 16 points came from the charity stripe.
 
With the win, LMU advances to the third round of the West Coast Conference Championships and will play Washington State on Saturday night at 8:30 PM. This will be the second matchup between the two programs this season, as LMU did not host the Cougars during the regular season.
 
The game will broadcast on ESPN+.
 
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.