ANCHORAGE ? Senior guard Brandon Worthy scored a career-high 32 points, including a game-tying three pointer with three seconds remaining in the first overtime, to power Loyola Marymount to a 88-85 come-from-behind double-overtime victory over Pacific in the first of two semifinal games tonight at the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout.
The Lions (5-1), who trailed by nine points at halftime (40-31) and by as many as 14 in the second half, would use a 13-0 run to grab their first lead since the opening minute of the game with 5:06 remaining in regulation at 61-58.
The Tigers (2-2) would regain the lead on a layup by Michael White with 56 seconds remaining, but Worthy would answer for LMU with a driving layin 30 seconds later to send the game into the first overtime.
Pacific led most of the first overtime, going ahead by as many as four on two occasions, before LMU would fight back to tie the game on Worthy's three pointer in the closing seconds to send the game into a second overtime with the score deadlocked at 74-74.
Senior Matthew Knight's bucket 45 seconds into the second extra session would give LMU a lead it wouldn't relinquish the remainder of the game. Pacific tied the game one final time at 78-78 on a pair of free throws from Anthony Esparza with 2:32 left, but Pacific would sink four straight from the foul line to build its cushion to four at 82-78 with 1:15 remaining.
Steffan Johnson would drain a long three with two seconds left to bring Pacific back to within one, but Joe Montgomery would sink two foul shots to clinch the win for the Lions.
LMU, who got nine points from Worthy in the extra sessions, went 8-of-10 from the foul line in the second overtime.
The Lions, who registered 11 steals, scored 35 points off of 28 Tiger turnovers.
Joining Worty in double-figures for LMU were Knight (16 points), senior guard Adoyah Miller (16) and senior center Derick Grubb (14).
The Tigers shot 47 percent from the field in the second half (15-32) after going shooting just 31 percent (8-26) in the opening half.
Pacific, who won the battle on the glass 39-31, had four players score in double figures, led by senior center Michael White's 20-point effort. Sophomore Anthony Brown recorded a double-double for the Tigers, recording 17 points and 10 rebounds.
LMU, the third school from the West Coast Conference to play in the championship game of the Great Alaska Shootout (Portland, 1993 and Gonzaga, 2001), will face either California in Saturday's title match at 9 p.m.
Pacific will face Hawaii in the 3rd/5th-place game at 6 p.m. Saturday.
