1/19/2023
SPOKANE, Wash. – LMU men’s basketball ended several Gonzaga streaks on Thursday night with a 68-67 win over the nation’s sixth-ranked team.
Keli Leaupepe gave LMU an early 3-1 lead, hitting the first triple of the game in similar fashion to how he opened LMU’s win over San Diego last Saturday. Leaupepe scored LMU’s first five points.
Coming off his career-scoring night against the Toreros, Shelton continued to play his best basketball on Thursday. The senior drove to the basket for his first of 11 field goals to give LMU a 7-5 lead.
After falling behind by two possessions, Jalin Anderson scored on two consecutive offensive possessions to ring the Lions back within two, 14-12.
Gonzaga’s largest lead of the game was eight points, which came at 6:44 of the first half. Michael Graham cut the deficit in half with back-to-back baskets. Graham put together a 10-rebound night, and added nine points
LMU forced Gonzaga into a shot clock violation with 2.4 seconds on the clock before halftime. Going the length of the court, LMU drew up a play to give Justin Ahrens a three at the buzzer. Ahrens banked in the shot and cut the Gonzaga lead to just a point at intermission, 33-32. Each team shot exactly 50 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes.
The Lions scored the first three points coming out of the locker room as Lamaj Lewis knocked down a free throw in his first start of the season and Leaupepe pulled up for a inside the perimeter jump shot off an offensive rebound.
The Zags hit a here on one end, then Shelton answered with three of his own on the next LMU possession to give the Lions a 38-36 lead with 17:22 to play. Shelton scored 18 of his 27 points in the second half.
LMU’s point guards each converted and-1 plays within 32 seconds of each other to turn a deficit into a lead with 13:43 to play. Jalin Anderson hit the first one and Shelton followed the next play down the floor. Anderson added a fast break layup to make it a 48-43 game.
Anderson added a personal 5-0 run to give LMU the largest lead of the game, 53-44, with 11:05 to play. Anderson scored 15 off the bench. LMU’s bench outscored Gonzaga, 24-14.
The Zags cut it down to four a couple times, before a Shelton three built the lead back up to seven for the Lions with 6:21 showing on the clock. Another three by Shelton with 2:55 remaining again turned a four-point game into seven, putting the Lions ahead 66-59.
Gonzaga would not go quietly, going on an 8-0 run down the stretch to retake the lead for the first time since the 17:54 mark of the second half. Drew Timme hit one of two free throws to give the Bulldogs a 67-66 lead with 43.4 to play.
With a chance to take the lead, the ball stayed in Shelton’s hands to make a play. The ball stayed in Shelton’s hands the entire final possession as the senior drove past Timme to hit a shot with 14.7 showing and putting the Lions on top, 68-67.
With the Lions needing one final stop, the defense came up with a block on Timme at the rim and withstood a last second heave towards the basket to secure victory.
Shelton led the Lions with 27 points including hitting the game-winner down the stretch.
The Lions overcame twice as many turnovers and seven more fouls to beat Gonzaga for the first time since 2010. The Lions had not won in Spokane since 1991. The LMU bench outscored the bench for the Bulldogs, 24-14
The Last time the Lions beat a top-10 opponent was 1961.
The Zags saw several of their team streaks come to an end. Gonzaga had won 93 games in a row against unranked team. Gonzaga had won 75 in a row inside McCarthey Athletic Center, which was the nation’s longest active home winning streak. Gonzaga had won 25 in a row overall over LMU.
This was the lone game for LMU this week, but the Lions host two key WCC games next week with Portland coming to the Bluff on Thursday and Pepperdine renewing the PCH Cup rivalry from Hank’s House on Saturday evening.
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