EL PASO, Texas (Interstat) — Loyola Marymount remained undefeated Tuesday night, using a dominant second-half defensive performance to pull away from UTEP for a 71-58 victory at the Don Haskins Center.

The Lions improved to 4-0, while the Miners suffered their first loss of the season, falling to 2-1.

After a tightly contested first half that saw UTEP take a 38-34 lead into the break, the Lions completely flipped the script after halftime. Loyola Marymount’s defense clamped down, holding the Miners to just 20 points in the second half on 7-of-25 shooting from the floor. UTEP’s offensive rating plummeted to 91.1 for the game as they struggled to find consistent scoring outside of a few early bursts.

The Lions were led by a balanced scoring attack. Myron Amey Jr., a guard from Vacaville, California, poured in a team-high 18 points. Jan Vide of Domzale, Slovenia, added 13 points, while Rodney Brown from Perris, California, also chipped in 13.

The catalyst for the Lions, however, was forward Jalen Shelley. The Little Elm, Texas, native stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, facilitating the offense and helping control the glass. Center Rick Issanza, a 7-foot-1 native of Kinshasa, Congo, provided a strong interior presence with nine points, six rebounds and a blocked shot.

For UTEP, Jamal West of Baltimore led all scorers with 14 points. Tyreese Watson from Philadelphia contributed 11 points and five assists, while KJ Thomas of Amarillo, Texas, also scored 11 points.

The game was ultimately decided by efficiency. Loyola Marymount shot 53.8% from the field, including 45.8% from 3-point range. UTEP, by contrast, managed to connect on just 35.1% of its field goal attempts, though they did hit 42.9% of their 3-pointers.

Despite committing 14 turnovers, which UTEP converted into 19 points, the Lions compensated with superior shooting and a significant advantage in points in the paint, 28-16. Loyola Marymount also outscored UTEP 12-5 on fast breaks.

A crowd of 3,534 watched as the Lions methodically took control in the second half, outscoring the Miners 37-20 to secure the road win. Loyola Marymount’s next game is Friday at home against Troy. UTEP travels to face Utah State on Saturday.