Loyola Marymount stages comeback to prevail in Riviera Division championship game

LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 73, WYOMING 70

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MX – Both Wyoming and Loyola Marymount coughed up double-digit leads Wednesday in the Riviera Division championship game of the Men’s Cancun Challenge, but LMU sealed the deal late in the second half with Will Johnston hitting four free throws in the final 25 seconds.

Jevon Porter, who was named Riviera Division MVP, scored a season-high 29 points for the Lions (3-3), hitting six 3-pointers and adding four blocked shots. Caleb Stone-Carrawell added 17 points and Johnston closed with 11 points.

Porter drained a 3-pointer to push LMU ahead, 67-66, with 2:32 to go. Stone-Carrawell extended the lead to 69-66 at the :40 mark; Obi Agbim scored for Wyoming to make it 69-68, and Cole Henry got it withing one point again, 71-70, with 10 seconds left. Johnston’s final free throws made it 73-70, and Kobe Newton’s 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Cowboys was unrewarded.  

The Cowboys (5-2) trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half. Agbim had 23 points, Cole Henry scored 12 points and Jordan Nesbitt added 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Loyola Marymount had a 13-point lead at halftime, but Wyoming stormed all the way back and took a 44-43 lead on a 3-pointer from Agbim with 15:37 remaining. Touko Tainamo layup pushed Wyoming ahead by double-digits, 64-54, with 5:47 to go, and LMU responded with Porter’s layup tying the game at 64-64 with 3:19 left.

After the game, tournament officials announced the Riviera Division All-Tournament team:

(MVP) Jevon Porter – Loyola Marymount

Will Johnston – Loyola Marymount

Obi Agbim – Wyoming

Jordan Nesbitt – Wyoming

Asher Woods – Tulane

Jonathan Pierre – Belmont

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