Lions vs. Pilots: Key will be stopping Stohl

Ashley Hamilton is expected to return for tomorrow's game | Courtesy of Facebook

LMU will head out on a three-game conference road-trip tomorrow, starting with the University of Portland Pilots. The Pilots are 12-4 on the season and 0-1 in WCC play after dropping their season opener on the road to Gonzaga on Saturday.

The Pilots are led by senior guard Jared Stohl, who is averaging 13.1 points per game. Stohl is also shooting 45 percent from beyond the arc, and an astonishing 71 percent of his shot attempts come from three-point land. The Pilots are the best three-point shooting team in the nation, settling in at about 45 percent.

In addition to Stohl, both Luke Sikma and Nemanja Mitrovic are also averaging double figures in scoring.

The Pilots put together the third-best non-conference record in the WCC, collecting wins over teams like Santa Barbara, Montana, Boise State and Utah to name a few. Their four losses all came at the hands of impressive teams (Washington, Kentucky, Washington State and Gonzaga).

The Lions, who lost to Portland by 40-points last year on the road but were dealing with severe off the court circumstances, will be looking to win two straight against the Pilots after LMU earned revenge last season upsetting Portland in Gersten Pavilion. The Lions are now 1-1 in WCC play after a win over USD.

According to Diamond Leung of ESPN, redshirt sophomore Ashley Hamilton should be back and available for tomorrow's game, after breaking his wrist in the Lions game against Sacramento State.

The Lions game against Portland can be seen live on ESPN2 or heard on KXLU 88.9 FM. Tip-off is at 8 p.m.