[Box score]

AZUSA, Calif. - The 2012-13 season ended for the Point Loma women's basketball team with a 64-56 loss at Azusa Pacific in the first round of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) West Regional on Tuesday (Mar. 5).

The Sea Lions finish their season at 14-13. Azusa Pacific improved to 16-10 with the win, and earned the right to play California Baptist in the NCCAA West Region final on Thursday at 5:00 p.m.

Azusa Pacific dominated the boards all game, outrebounding PLNU 53-30, including 25-11 on the offensive glass. Kelly Hardeman and Hannah Kenny each recorded double-doubles to lead APU. Hardeman, who was named the NCCAA West Region Freshman of the Year, had 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Kenny added 10 points and 11 boards. Ellis came off the bench to score a game-high 17 points for APU.

Savannah Erskine had 16 points and four assists to pace Point Loma. Jessica Escorza added 14 points. She entered the game with just two treys on the season but went 3-for-3 from behind the arc in the game. Callie Rhoads posted 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds. PLNU hit 10 treys in the contest.  

PLNU started the game on fire as it built a 16-point lead in the first half. They shot 50 percent from the field and made seven 3-pointers in the period. However, APU would get back in the game and carry some momentum into the locker room as the Cougars closed out the half with a 12-0 run in the last three minutes to cut PLNU's halftime lead to 35-31.

Point Loma would not be deterred by the Cougars' run and pushed its lead back to 10 points on a 3-pointer by Jessica Escorza three minutes into the second period. This would be the last time the Sea Lions would hold a double-digit lead as APU continued to chip away and eventually took their first lead of the game with 2:08 remaining on a layup by Ellis. PLNU would get a couple of chances to tie the game after APU had taken the lead but each of its shots found rim instead of net and the Cougars went on to victory.

This was the final game in the Point Loma career for Andrea Campbell and Renee Crawford. PLNU is expected to return its top four scorers in juniors Callie Rhoads (14.4 ppg), Carlotta Kloppenburg (10.0) and Savannah Erskine (9.6), and sophomore Jessica Escorza (10.5).