Merkviladze scores 24 points, sparks Loyola Marymount past Southern 89-73

LOS ANGELES -- — Alex Merkviladze's 24 points helped Loyola Marymount defeat Southern 89-73 on Friday.

Merkviladze also contributed seven rebounds for the Lions (7-4). Jevon Porter added 14 points while going 5 of 11 (3 for 5 from 3-point range) while they also had eight rebounds. Myron Amey Jr. shot 5 for 12, including 2 for 6 from beyond the arc to finish with 13 points.

Puoch Dobuol finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Jaguars (5-6). Southern also got 16 points and four assists from Michael Jacobs. Cam Amboree also had eight points.

Loyola Marymount took the lead with 19:45 left in the first half and did not relinquish it. Merkviladze led his team in scoring with 21 points in the first half to help put them up 53-28 at the break. Loyola Marymount was outscored by Southern in the second half by nine points, with Porter scoring a team-high eight points after intermission.

Both teams next play Sunday. Loyola Marymount hosts North Alabama and Southern goes on the road to play USC.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.