STOCKTON, Calif. (Interstat) — Andjela Matic scored 15 points and the Loyola Marymount women’s basketball team used a dominant first quarter to set the tone for a wire-to-wire 74-54 victory over Pacific in a West Coast Conference game Saturday at the A.C. Spanos Center.

The Lions (11-7, 2-1 WCC) opened the game on a 13-0 run, holding the Tigers scoreless for the first five minutes and six seconds. Loyola Marymount’s defensive pressure was immediate and devastating, forcing five Pacific turnovers in the opening period and converting them into easy baskets. The Lions led 22-9 after one quarter and never saw their advantage dip below double digits the rest of the way.

The most critical phase of the game was unquestionably that opening blitz. Loyola Marymount won the opening tip and scored on its first three possessions, with Maya Hernandez accounting for the first six points. Pacific, meanwhile, missed its first four shots and committed two early turnovers, including a three-second violation. By the time Pacific’s Sophia Mindermann hit a three-pointer at the 4:53 mark, the Tigers were already in a 13-2 hole, a deficit from which they could not recover against the Lions’ consistent defensive effort.

Loyola Marymount’s defense was the story, generating 21 Pacific turnovers and converting them into 26 points. The Lions recorded 12 steals, led by Matic’s three, and held Pacific to just 18-for-47 shooting from the field, including 3 of 17 from three-point range. Despite being out-rebounded 10-9 on the offensive glass, the Lions’ ability to disrupt Pacific’s offensive flow was comprehensive. Pacific managed only two assists against its 21 turnovers, a stark indicator of the Lions’ disruptive presence.

Offensively, Loyola Marymount was efficient, shooting 52.5 percent from the field on 32-of-61 shooting. The Lions shared the ball effectively with 12 assists and committed only eight turnovers of their own. Jess Lawson added 12 points and four assists, while Hernandez finished with 14 points. Ivana Krajina contributed eight points and a game-high five assists.

Pacific (7-11, 0-3) was led by a game-high 28 points from Winner Bartholomew, who played 34 minutes. Mindermann added 17 points for the Tigers, who shot a respectable 15 of 17 from the free-throw line but could not overcome their struggles from the field and their ball-handling woes. Daria Nestorov dished out eight assists but also committed seven of Pacific’s turnovers.

The Lions expanded their lead to 36-20 at halftime and maintained a comfortable margin throughout the second half. Pacific made a minor push in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 14 points on a couple of occasions, but each time Loyola Marymount answered with a run to push the lead back near 20 points. The Lions’ largest lead was 24 points in the fourth quarter.

The victory gives Loyola Marymount its second consecutive conference win following a tight 55-51 victory over Oregon State on Thursday. Pacific, which was projected as a slight favorite by advanced metrics, has now lost three straight conference games by an average of 19 points.

Loyola Marymount will look to continue its momentum when it hosts Portland on Thursday. Pacific will try to secure its first WCC win when it hosts Washington State, also on Thursday.