Box Score

SAN DIEGO - Hayden Lescault scored the final nine points for the Point Loma men's basketball team in a 71-68 come-from-behind victory over Holy Names on Thursday, Jan. 2.

Lescault notched nine of his team-leading 23 points in the final 90 seconds of the game to will the Sea Lions (8-4, 3-3 PacWest) to the victory over its Pacific West Conference opponent.

Point Loma never led in the contest until the 7:19 mark in the second half when Junior Morgan hit both free throws to put the Sea Lions up one (59-58). HNU then scored six of the next seven points to take a 64-60 lead with 3:27 remaining. Sam Okhotin hit a layup for PLNU with just over three minutes left to cut the lead to two (64-62). After the teams traded defensive stops Lescault gave the Sea Lions a one-point lead as he made an old fashion three-point play on a driving layup.

Holy Names answered on a jumper from Harold Perry, Jr., who had a game-high 24 points, to go back up by one with 1:02 remaining. Again it was Lescault that the Sea Lions turned to with the game on the line. They swung Lescault the ball on the right wing and he drove to the hoop. He angled his body between the two defenders and found just enough space on the left side of the rim to sneak the ball into the net for the score. After a defensive stop by PLNU, Lescault knocked down four free throws with less than 12 second left to lift the Sea Lions to their second straight PacWest win.

"That is what you get from an all-conference type guy," said PLNU head coach Bill Carr about Lescault. "He made plays that wouldn't let us lose and everyone fed off him.

"We finally dug in on defense and got some stops at the end," Carr added. "It was a gutsy second half win."

The Sea Lions are now 8-4 on the season and 3-3 in the Pacific West Conference. The loss was the seventh straight for Holy Names which dropped to 0-4 in the PacWest and 1-11 overall.

Lescault added a game-high six assists and seven rebounds to go along with his season-best 23 points. PLNU also got 18 points and five rebounds from Junior Morgan. AJ Ussery chipped in with nine points and nine boards, and Okhotin had 10 points.

Perry, Jr. led HNU with 24 points on 11-of-19 shooting.

"Every conference game is going to be a grind and you just have to stay in it and try to win at the end," Carr explained. "This was a good team win for us going into Hawaii."

The Sea Lions will face three opponents in Hawaii next week as they continue PacWest conference play starting on Monday (Jan. 6) against Hawaii Hilo.