BOX SCORE
SAN DIEGO - PLNU struggled at the line and from the field in a 64-46 loss to No. 6-ranked Westminster (UT) Saturday evening in Golden Gymnasium. It was the second game in as many chances that the Sea Lions could not convert on an opportunity to beat a top-10 team.
The loss drops Point Loma to 6-5 overall while the Griffins improved to a school-record start 11-0. Westminster now leads the all-time series with PLNU, 5-2.
WC came out of the gate strong and was in front 12-6 less than six minutes into the non-conference match up. But a 10-0 run over the next few minutes saw Point Loma grab the advantage. The Sea Lions led by a game-high six points at 4:55 after a James Hancock layup.
Cracks were starting to show in the PLNU game, however. The Green and Gold missed on all five of their first half free throw attempts and failed on their three shots from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes of play.
At the break it was Westminster ahead after a very low-scoring half, 21-20. The Griffins took control of the game in the second, pushing their lead to six after a three pointer by AJ Reilly just one minute in. Another trey on the next possession, this time by Michael Stockton, saw the gap grow to nine.
The Griffin lead swelled to 14 points midway into the stanza after two Stockton free throws. The Sea Lions looked to on the verge of a comeback when Wil Bush nailed home a three. PLNU needed points in a hurry at that point into the contest, though, but could did not have their shooting touch, especially from long-range. Making just 8-of-21 free throws did not help, either.
The Sea Lions have come a long way from last season's eight-win mark. They gave No. 9 Azusa Pacific all they had in a double-overtime tilt last week, but lost a very winnable game after they whiffed on 22 free throws. Loma had its chances Saturday as well.
PLNU plays hard from whistle to whistle; they just need to be steadier at the line and to put in makeable shots.
Point Loma ended up with a 37.5 percent average from the floor, including only 2-of-12 on three point attempts. Westminster tallied a 40 percent shooting average as a team, but made seven threes and 13-of-19 free throws. The Griffins also had the advantage in rebounds (40-33) and steals (9-7).
Hancock paced the Sea Lions with 16 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. Todd Campbell added eight points, Robbie McDaniel with seven.
Stockton led all scorers with 26 points. The senior guard was 8-of-11 from the field, 2-for-2 from beyond the arc and 8-of-9 from the line. Reilly added 15 points with Tannery Gregory scoring 11 and pulling in 12 boards.
The Sea Lions host No. 17-ranked William Jewell (MO) on Monday, tip-off at 2 p.m. The Griffins head up to Azusa for a game against the Cougars on Monday.
