AZUSA, Calif. - There could have been no better start to the 2014-15 season for the Point Loma women's basketball team as it knocked off the No. 2 team in the country, Cal Poly Pomona, 63-60, at the PacWest/CCAA Conference Challenge on Friday, Nov. 14.
 
Jessica Escorza scored 20 points and Madison West added 18 points, all on 3-pointers, to lead the Sea Lions. Jada Blackwell paced CPP, which was picked to win the California Collegiate Athletic Association, with a game-high 24 points.
 
It was a very tight contest throughout with neither squad holding an advantage over six points and the lead changing hands 14 times. Cal Poly Pomona took its largest lead of the game with 7:27 left in the second half and that is when PLNU showed the grit and determination of a winner.
 
Point Loma put together an 11-2 run that was capped off by a 3-pointer from West to turn a five-point deficit into a four-point lead. They would extend the lead to six points and then overcome a game-tying 3-point attempt at the buzzer to win the game. Escorza scored 10 of her 20 points in the final 7:17.
 
"Cal Poly Pomona is a very good, tough and veteran team," said PLNU sophomore guard Madison West. "We were nervous at the beginning but had confidence in our team. We practice hard and played as a team. We did a very good job of sharing the ball tonight.
 
"We have a very young team and we got behind but we kept our composure and didn't let our mistakes get in our head," West continued.
 
One of the keys for the Sea Lions was limiting their turnovers. PLNU turned it over just 10 times all game and CPP scored just four points off those turnovers. That resulted in Point Loma being able to overcome a 10 rebound deficit and being outscored by 10 points at the free throw line.
 
Escorza also had seven rebounds to pace PLNU and added two steals. Apart from Escorza and West no other Sea Lion student-athlete had over five points.
 
Point Loma will continue play in the PacWest/CCAA Challenge on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 5:00 p.m., when it faces Cal State Dominguez Hills.