Box Score

LAIE, Hawaii - The Point Loma basketball team closed the game on a 16-5 run to defeat BYU-Hawaii 69-58 and salvage the final game of its Hawaii road trip on Friday (Jan. 10).

The Sea Lions had lost back-to-back tough games in Hawaii before taking down the Seasiders (0-11, 0-6 PacWest). PLNU is now 7-6 on the season and 5-4 in the Pacific West Conference.

Callie Rhoads scored a team-high 14 points on a tough shooting night for the Sea Lions. PLNU shot just 39 percent in the game, including 33 percent in the second half. However, Point Loma was able to overcome its cold shooting thanks to the combination of two new starters and solid team defense.

Sydney Tonack and Jordan Ligons each played very well in their first career starts for Point Loma. Tonack pulled down a team-leading 11 rebounds to go along with nine points. Ligons finished second on the squad with 11 points, including hitting a team-best three 3-pointers.

Each of these student-athletes played over 22 minutes on a Sea Lions defense that held BYUH to just 29 percent shooting from the field and 31 percent from behind the arc. Danna Lynn Hooper had a game-high 17 points for BYUH but required 15 shots (5-of-15) to hit that total. PLNU also did well on the boards, outrebounding the Seasiders 44-40. 

The Sea Lions will be the first to admit this game was closer than it ever should have been. They led 35-25 at the half and built a 14-point lead (39-25) early in the second half on the second of two free throws by Rhoads. The Seasiders then started to chip away at the lead. PLNU still led by 11 (47-36) with 14:51 left after Carlotta Kloppenburg hit a jumper but BYU-Hawaii then scored 12 straight points to take a one-point lead at 48-47.

Point Loma did not panic and kept the game close over the next three minutes until it was tied at 53-53. The Sea Lions would then hold the Seasiders to just one basket in the final six minutes and outscore them 16-5 to win the game. Erin Andersen scored seven of her nine points during this final run for PLNU.

"We really pulled together and made sure we were ready to play a good game tonight," said senior guard Callie Rhoads. "We are not going to take any opponent lightly. We are going to work hard on our defense, stick together, and take each game one at a time."

Abby Boorman had a solid game in the middle for PLNU with seven points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and two steals. Savannah Erskine had seven assists to increase her PacWest leading total of 5.4 per game.

Point Loma will host a pair of opponents next week. The first will be a non-conference contest against Cal State San Marcos on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7:00 p.m. It will then host long-time rival Azusa Pacific on Friday, Jan. 17 at 5:30 p.m.

On Friday, Jan. 17 during the men's game Point Loma will honor its 2013 volleyball team which won the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Championship in Kissimmee, Fla., in early December.