LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — A surging Loyola Marymount men’s basketball team, off to its best start in years, will look to continue its strong opening month when it hosts Stony Brook on Friday at Gersten Pavilion.

The Lions (7-1) have won seven of their first eight games, with their only blemish a 76-65 home loss to Florida Atlantic on Nov. 24. They bounced back with a 70-58 victory over Ohio on Tuesday, led by 15 points from AJ Thomas and 14 from Aaron McBride.

Stony Brook (5-2) arrives on the West Coast after a 61-54 road win at Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday. Erik Pratt paced the Seawolves with 14 points and eight rebounds in the defensive struggle. The Seawolves have shown resilience, with their two losses coming by double digits on the road against Pacific and Yale.

The game presents a contrast in momentum. Loyola Marymount has established itself as a formidable home team, while Stony Brook seeks a statement non-conference road victory against one of the season’s early surprises. The Seawolves will need another strong performance from Pratt and efficient scoring to challenge the Lions’ balanced attack.

Friday’s contest is the first-ever meeting between the two programs. It is part of a four-game homestand for Loyola Marymount before it begins West Coast Conference play. Stony Brook continues a challenging road trip before returning east to host Columbia on Dec. 9.