SAN DIEGO – NAIA No. 3-ranked Point Loma Nazarene defeated fifth-ranked Azusa Pacific 5-4 in a marathon Golden State Athletic Conference match Friday evening. The win not only kept the Sea Lions perfect on the year, it was the first triumph of any Point Loma team against APU this school year, snapping a 0-fer-18 for 2010-11.

PLNU's victory looked anything but a foregone conclusion after the Cougars grabbed two of the three doubles points to start the match. APU took in points on two and three. On two Leah Hoffee/Casey Wetzig topped Rachel Owens/Jessica Kwan 8-6 while Natalie McNall and Molly Ruby defeated Wileen Chiu and Kiersten Steinhauer 8-4 on three.

Point Loma's top duo of Kristin Strimple and Ashley Litchfield pulled in a point on one where they beat Sheryl Bon-Bakalov and Emily Harris 8-6.

Trailing 2-1, the Sea Lions needed to step up in singles play if they were to maintain their perfect record and to get the APU monkey off their back. Making the outlook bleaker, Owens, PLNU's No. 4 singles player, was feeling ill and had to withdraw prior to singles play. Sea Lion head coach Rich Hills moved his lower ladder up a court and waited on the results.

Strimple evened the score with a quick 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Bon-Baklov on one. Substitute Hope Penner did her part on six, taking down Ruby 6-2, 6-3. Chiu, who moved up a court, was an easy winner on five, 6-1, 6-4 over Wetzig.

Now ahead 4-2, the Sea Lions needed just one more point for the win.

That wouldn't come easily.

The remaining three matches all went to a third set, leaving the match up for grabs still.

Finally, Litchfield on two sealed the deal. After dropping the first set 4-6, she won the next two 7-6, 6-0. That gave the Sea Lions their fifth point and the team win.

Kwan eventually lost to Harris 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 and Maika Adiar fell to Hoffee 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 on three and four respectively for the final 5-4 score.  The match concluded just before 10:00 pm.

“I am very proud of the girls,” said Hills. “They came back from doubles when the pressure was on the entire time. APU played really well. Getting a win against them is always great because they are such a good team. I hope we can keep it going.”

Point Loma improved to 9-0 overall, 6-0 GSAC and dropped APU to 12-2, 6-2 GSAC. The Sea Lions take a brief break from conference action when they travel to Pomona-Pitzer next Friday. That non-conference tilt starts at 4:00 pm and is followed a day later with a trip to No. 1-ranked Fresno Pacific.