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PHOTOS
SAN DIEGO - The Sea Lions missed 22 free throws and their chance to upset No. 9-ranked Azusa Pacific Saturday night, eventually losing a GSAC thriller in double-overtime, 108-104.
PLNU played very well in most aspects of the game, shooting 47 percent from the field and making 10-of-24 three pointers. The visiting Cougars grabbed 14 more rebounds than did Loma (56-39). But that stat was to be expected as APU has a substantial size advantage and that PLNU missed so many at the charity stripe.
The Sea Lions were playing so well, it didn't seem that a point here or there would come back to haunt them. Loma grabbed a quick lead in the game by shooting a lights-out 58 percent through the first 20 minutes and went into intermission ahead by 15 points.
Play slowed to a crawl due to foul after foul in the second half, however. APU slowly chipped away at the PLNU lead, thanks in part to their steady play at the line. The Cougars, who would make 37-of-45 free throws for the game, were good on 19 in the second half. Point Loma in comparison missed 10 at the stripe in regulation, including 5-of-6 in the second.
Just one more made free throw would have sealed the win for the Sea Lions. Instead, PLNU's lead was down to three with four minutes to play and just one at the 2:31 mark. Mike Caffese made a three-point play with 82 second left in the stanza to put Azusa Pacific on top for the first time since the opening bucket of the game.
Jake Johnston made a layup and one of two free throws to put Point Loma back in front with 18 seconds to go but a Reggie Owens layup with four seconds left tied the game and sent the conference tilt into overtime.
APU scored the first five points of OT and looked to have taken all the momentum. Rhett Beal sopped the bleeding with a three to cut the gap to two points. Neither side scored for the next minute and a half. Greg Murray then made a free throw to half the deficit. APU made two at the stripe to one by PLNU. The Cougars could have put themselves up by four but Owens missed his second free throw attempt.
Beal made the Cougars pay when he delivered a clutch triple at the buzzer to even the game once again – this time at 94-94. The guard's big shot forced a second overtime.
The Sea Lions finally seemed to find their footing at the stripe in the second OT. Beal made five free throws, Hancock made two, Hayden Lescault made one and PLNU had a six-point lead with 2:55 left. Point Loma missed on their last three attempts at the line, however, and their last two jumpers were blocked by De'Angelo Riley.
APU would make five at the stripe and three shots from the field and come away with the four-point triumph.
Sixty-six fouls were called Saturday, 38 by the Cougars.
Marek Klassen led the Sea Lions with 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists, but the freshman guard fouled out of the game in the second overtime. Beal scored 20 points with Jake Johnston adding 18. Murray contributed 15 points.
Owens paced the Cougars with 27 points and 14 boards. Danny Nugent scored 18 points with Robert Sandoval adding 17.
The Sea Lions fell to 5-4 overall, 3-1 in GSAC play with the loss. APU improves to 7-2, 3-1 GSAC. Point Loma is now 46-60 all-time against the Cougars and haven't beaten APU since sweeping the season series during the 2007-08 campaign.
Point Loma hosts Milligan College for a non-conference game at 7:30 pm Tuesday.
