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SAN DIEGO – NAIA No. 12-ranked Point Loma Nazarene wrapped up Golden State Athletic Conference play with an 84-73 defeat of Vanguard Saturday night in Golden Gym. Jake Johnston led PLNU with 22 points in the win.

 
 
The Sea Lions (19-8) finish with a 12-6 mark in conference and will be the No. 2 seed when the GSAC Tournament begins on March 1. On Thursday, the Green and Gold will host the very same Vanguard team they played tonight in a tournament first-round game. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 pm.
 
VUSC and PLNU would trade leads all through the opening stanza. In fact, the lead would change hands seven times with seven ties over the first 20 minutes of action.

Vanguard opened the night with the game's first bucket before a jumper from Sea Lion Todd Campbell a 3-pointer from teammate Wil Bush. 
 
The Lions held a four-point advantage at 13:15 until a 7-0 PLNU run put Point Loma on top 23-18.  Neither side would have more than a four-point advantage. At half time the score was 40-39 PLNU.
 
Greg Murray opened up the second with a dunk that sparked Loma to an 8-4 spurt. The Lions came right back, however, and reclaimed a one-point lead at 14:20.
 
But that would be the last time that PLNU trailed Saturday.
 
Murray put in a layup on the next possession; Ross Davidson followed with a jumper; Johnston made an and-one; Davidson made another jumper and Hayden Lescault swished two free throws.

That 13-0 run spelled the end of any doubts about the outcome. An Anthony Ussery layup at 7:26 stretched the lead to a game-high 16 points.
 
PLNU held onto the double-digit advantage for all but one possession until finishing with the 11-point margin of victory.
 
The Sea Lions shot an impressive 57 percent and outrebounded the Lions 38-32. PLNU did have trouble taking care of the ball, though, turning it over 20 times which led to 22 Vanguard points.
 
Johnston was 7-10 from the field, making a trey and delivering on 7-9 free throws. The senior guard also pulled in seven rebounds. Lescault was next with 16 points and five assists. Murray added14 points and nine boards to the Point Loma win, with Ussery scoring 10. Both Bush and Marek Klassen contributed six points.
 
The Lions (15-14, 7-11 GSAC) shot 46 percent and were led by 16 points from Cameron Nettles. Christopher Kupets had 14 points with Christopher Raybon and Ennis Whatley each with 12 points.
 
VUSC struggled from the stripe all night, making just 16-31 free throws. Whatley missed all six chances there. 

Before tip-off Saturday the Sea Lions recognized four seniors, all of whom have been big contributors to PLNU's success: Murray, Johnston, Bush and Rhett Beal. Beal missed both contests this week due to an injury but is expected back for Thursday's home tilt with VUSC.
 
Thursday, March 1, 2012
GSAC Tournament – First Round
at highest seeds
#8 Fresno Pacific at #1 Concordia, 7:30 pm
#7 Vanguard at #2 Point Loma Nazarene, 7:30 pm
#6 The Masters at #3 Biola, 7:30 pm
#5 Westmont at #4 Azusa Pacific, 7:30 pm

Saturday, March 3, 2012
GSAC Tournament – Semifinals
at highest remaining seed
    #2/#7 winner vs. #3/#6 winner
    #1/#8 winner vs. #4/#5 winner