LOS ANGELES, Calif. - In front of an electric Valentine's Day crowd at Gersten Pavilion, LMU women's basketball delivered one of the most significant wins in program history, defeating Gonzaga 72-63 to snap a 35-game losing streak against the Bulldogs and earn their first victory in the series since 2008. With the win, the Lions now improve to 17-8 overall and 11-3 in WCC play, moving into a tie for first place in the conference standings. The 11 WCC victories mark LMU's best conference total since the 2017-18 season.

In a showdown between the conference's top two teams, the contest lived up to its billing with 11 lead changes and eight ties. LMU jumped out to a 19-16 lead after the first quarter and trailed by just one at halftime, 34-33, setting the stage for a tightly contested second half.

Defense once again proved to be the difference. The Lions forced 26 Gonzaga turnovers and turned them into 23 points, while recording a season-high 17 steals compared to just seven by the Bulldogs. That disruptive pressure ignited 19 fast-break points and prevented Gonzaga from ever settling offensively down the stretch.

After the teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 50, LMU delivered their strongest stretch of the afternoon. The Lions outscored Gonzaga 22-13 in the final period, shooting 60 percent from the field in the quarter while locking down defensively. A clutch three-pointer from Jess Lawson with 1:40 remaining extended the lead, swinging momentum fully to the Lions.

From there, Andjela Matic took over at the free throw line. The senior guard delivered in the biggest moments, sinking five of her final six attempts in the closing seconds to put the game out of reach and ignite the Gersten Pavilion crowd. Matic finished with 16 points on the afternoon, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc and converting five free throws that ultimately secured the statement victory.

Lawson matched her with 16 points while adding a team high of seven rebounds, four assists, and seven steals in a standout all-around effort. Maya Hernandez contributed 11 points and key interior defense, as the Lions shot 44.4 percent from three-point range (8-for-18). 

Now tied atop the WCC at 11-3, LMU's historic victory not only avenged December's double-overtime loss to Gonzaga - it also propelled the Lions into a share of first place in the conference race. LMU will hit the road next, traveling to Seattle to take on Seattle University Thursday at 6:00 PM, as they look to build on this statement win and continue its push up the league standings.

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