AZUSA, Calif. – Point Loma Nazarene hung around for the first half of it GSAC tilt with Azusa Pacific on Saturday, but the NAIA No. 5-ranked Cougars would pull away over the final 20 minutes of play. By game's end it was APU winning 80-57.

The loss is the fifth-straight for the Sea Lions which fell to 9-13 overall, 4-10 in conference. Azusa Pacific improved to 20-4, 12-2 GSAC.

The Sea Lions scored the first bucket of the game and were ahead by three on two occasions early. The two teams traded points for the next few minutes. A Callie Rhoads three evened the score at 16-16 midway into the stanza. It would be APU from that point on.

Azusa led by five at the break. The Cougars pushed the margin to 11 at 13:39 in the second and kept up the pressure, winning by 23.

"Our girls competed and played hard but Azusa Pacific is very talented, very well-coached and very deep," said PLNU Coach Bill Westphal.

Neither side shot well, the Sea Lions 34.9 percent and APU 43.7 percent. The Cougars had advantages in rebounds (52-36), free throws made (14-9) and steals (14-9). PLNU's 19 turnovers were turned into 17 points. The game was won – and lost – in the paint, though. Azusa scored 48 points near the hoop, twice as many as did the Sea Lions.

Colon led PLNU with 14 points with Abby Boorman finishing with 12 points and nine boards. Rhoads and Erin Andersen each had seven points in the loss.

C.J. Hill and Kristie Hala'ufia each contributed 13 points to the APU.

The Sea Lions return home on Tuesday where they will host San Diego Christian at 5:30 pm.