LOS ANGELES – The University of San Francisco men's basketball team trailed by as much as 19 points in the first half but came back to tie the game with five minutes to play. Unfortunately for the Dons that is where they ran out of gas, falling to host Loyola Marymount 68-60 on Sunday night at Gersten Pavilion.
 
USF (8-6, 2-2 WCC) finished with two players in double figures and was led by Khalil Shabazz who had 16. The junior overcame a sluggish start before catching fire late in the first half and keyed the Dons near comeback.  Shabazz also finished with a season-high five steals and his second career block – coming on 7'3" Mattias Markusson. 
 
Jamaree Bouyea finished with 12 points, along with six rebounds, three steals, and two assists.  The two assists for Bouyea give him 250 for his career. 

Loyola Marymount (6-3, 1-0 WCC) was led by the duo of Eli Scott and Keli Leaupepe.  Scott finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds for his 17^th career double-double.  Leaupepe had 19 points and was 11-for-11 from the free throw line.  Dameane Douglas had 10 as well for LMU.
 
Early in the contest it was the Dons who looked like the team who hadn't played in 22 days.  USF committed three turnovers early and opened the game 1-for-5 from the field.  During that time the interior play of Scott and Leaupepe propelled LMU on an early 11-2 run.  
 
The Lions duo combined to score 31 of the LMU's 44 first half points. A 3-point field goal by Douglas at the 5:53 mark put LMU out front 36-17.   
 
Damari Milstead made the Dons first triple of the game at the 5:33 mark which began the Dons comeback.  USF proceeded to get hot making four of their last five attempts from long range to cut the game to single digits.  The two sides went into the intermission with LMU leading 44-35 following a block on Bouyea's last second layup attempt.
 
Both teams shot north of 50.0 percent from the field in the first half.  Out of the break that would change. The Dons defense did a good job of creating opportunities while limiting the Lions. Scott and Leaupepe combined to score just nine second half points and the Lions went just 8-for-22 from the field.
 
However, USF could not take advantage of LMU's 16 second half turnovers.  The Dons scored just seven points off those turnovers, meanwhile the Lions finished with 11 points on nine second half turnovers by USF.
 
With 5:50 to play, a turnover in the paint by LMU led to a quick transition bucket where Milstead found Bouyea.  After missing his first layup, Bouyea grabbed the offensive board and tied it up at 54. 
 
A quick timeout by LMU helped the Lions regain their composure and they went on a 4-0 run to regain the lead. A lead they would not relinquish.  With 2:20 to play, the Lions' Joe Quintana hit a three point field goal in front of the home bench to give LMU a seven point advantage, all but icing the contest.
 
USF finished the second half shooting 10-for-32 (31.3 percent).  For the evening, USF shot 40.0 percent from the field going 24-for-60. The Dons missed 15 layups on the evening and shot just 29.2 percent from beyond the arc.
 
USF will return to action on Thursday when they travel to the Rose City to take on the Portland Pilots at the Chiles Center.  Thursday's contest is slated to tip off at 5:00 p.m. and will be streamed on the WCC Network. Pat Olson will have the call on the home of USF Dons Basketball, KNBR 1050-AM.