LA VERNE- The University of La Verne men's basketball squad finished on the wrong side of a thrilling 78-77 game against the El Salvador national team Wednesday.

The Leopards dug themselves an early 10-2 hole after seven minutes of play, but used a 26-12 run to take a six-point advantage with just under five minutes remaining in the first half. The score was knotted up at 34-34 heading into halftime. 

Both squads keep the score close in the early stages of the second half, but El Salvador built a 17-point advantage with 4:58 remaining in the game before a furious Leopard rally. A barrage of offense fueled a 22-4 run that gave La Verne a one-point lead with 11 seconds remaining. El Salvador scored the winning basket with no time left on the clock to secure the victory. 

The back-and-forth matchup saw ten lead changes, including nine in the second half, as well as seven ties. The Leopards shot 38 percent (26-68) from the floor, including 36 percent (12-33) from behind the arc. A physical El Salvador squad scored 38 of their points in the paint and shot 63 percent (29-46) from the floor and 50 percent (5-10) from long range. The Leopards were outrebounded 33-18 on the night.

Sophomore guard Weston Newell was the Leopards' leading scorer with 18 points on 5-for-10 shooting while senior point guard Alonzo Young led the team with six rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.  The Leos got a 32-point boost from their bench, including 23 in the first half. Freshman guard/forward Kendall McClain chipped in 16 points on 5-for-8 shooting from three-point range in only 13 minutes of play.

La Verne will open up its regular season with a home matchup against Pacific (Ore.) on Nov. 15 . Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Franz Athletic Court.