LOS ANGELES — LMU (1-0) opened the 2026–27 season with an 89–64 victory over Nevada (0-1) on Monday at Gersten Pavilion. The Lions scored 31 points off 26 Nevada turnovers and finished with a 48–22 advantage in points in the paint.
Shawnee Nordstrom led the Lions with 17 points, six assists and two steals in her LMU debut. Maya Hernandez matched Nordstrom with 17 points, connecting on 7-of-8 free throws while adding a block. Kayla Jones contributed 16 points and seven rebounds, making seven field goals, while Ivana Krajina added 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting and two assists. Danae Powell rounded out LMU's leading scorers with nine points, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the field in her Lions debut.
With 89 points, LMU set a program record for the most points scored in a season opener against an NCAA Division I opponent, surpassing the previous mark of 84 set against Eastern Illinois on Nov. 25, 1989.
Nordstrom hit an early three-pointer, Hernandez added a layup and Krajina scored in transition before adding two free throws as the Lions built a 9–3 lead. Nevada answered with back-to-back three-pointers from Aili Tanke to tie the game at 9–9. Erica Finney's fast-break three gave LMU a 14–11 advantage, but Nevada moved ahead behind another Tanke three and a Mahaila Harrison layup. Tanke's fourth three-pointer gave the Wolf Pack a 19–16 lead before Jones scored twice in the closing minutes, including a layup with eight seconds remaining, to put LMU ahead 20–19 after the first quarter.
Jones opened the second quarter with a layup, and Nordstrom and Hernandez helped the Lions extend their advantage to 25–21. Nevada remained within striking distance before LMU used a 9–0 run late in the quarter, highlighted by two Hernandez baskets, three points from Nordstrom and a layup from Ali'a Matavao. The run pushed the Lions' lead to 38–25 before Jones added a jumper with 23 seconds remaining to give LMU a 40–30 halftime advantage.
Hernandez opened the second half with a layup off a Powell assist, and Powell followed with a three-pointer to extend LMU's lead to 45–30. The Lions held Nevada scoreless for more than three minutes to begin the third quarter, while Krajina scored consecutive baskets to maintain the advantage. Matavao provided a spark with two baskets, including a fast-break layup following a steal, before Hernandez and Jones closed the quarter with baskets to give LMU a 61–44 lead entering the fourth.
Jones opened the final quarter with a three-point play to extend the Lions' lead to 20. LMU then went on a 9–0 run, highlighted by a fast-break layup from Krajina and a Nordstrom three-pointer, to move ahead 73–46. Krajina continued the offensive surge with a layup and a three-pointer, while Mari Somvichian added two free throws and Powell scored off a Sarah Deng steal to push the lead to 82–52 with 4:29 remaining. Nevada connected on three late three-pointers, but LMU closed with contributions from Clarke, Nordstrom, Hernandez and Jones to secure the 89–64 victory.
Up Next
The Lions travel to Logan, Utah, to face Utah State on Friday, Nov. 6, at 1 p.m. PT.
