Box Score

SAN DIEGO - Hayden Lescault was one point short of his career-high as he tallied 30 points to lead the Point Loma men's basketball team to an 83-62 upset over second-place Chaminade on Tuesday, Feb. 11.

Lescault went 11-of-15 from field and a perfect 5-of-5 at the free throw line en route to his 30 points. He notched a career-high of 31 points earlier this season at Hawaii Hilo. He also added two assists, four rebounds and five steals for Point Loma (14-8, 9-7 PacWest) which has now won three straight games, and four of its last five. Chaminade (13-9, 10-4 PacWest), which entered the contest second place in the PacWest standings, fell into third place with the loss.

It was the Sea Lions' defense which earned them this victory. They held CUH to 37 percent shooting in the contest and forced the Silverswords into 20 turnovers, which PLNU turned into 30 points.

That defense was never more evident than right after halftime as the Sea Lions held Chaminade to just 11 points in the first 10 minutes of the second half while scoring 24 of their own to extend their lead from two points at the half (40-38) to 15 points (64-49) midway through the second half. CUH would never get the lead back to single digits as the Sea Lions pulled the upset.

"I thought this game was won on the defensive end in the second half," said PLNU head coach Bill Carr. "We had more energy and got out and pressured them better. We took pride in getting defensive stops and we were able to push the ball for easy baskets at the other end."

Those easy baskets helped PLNU dominate inside as it outscored Chaminade 44-18 on points in the paint. AJ Ussery played a very solid game up front for PLNU with six points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots while playing solid defense. Taylor Wetherell and Junior Morgan added 13 points apiece. 

"I thought Taylor played very well tonight," Carr said. "It is nice to see him going strong at the end of his senior year. He gave us some good minutes, was strong with the ball and made some key shots, and as always he played great defense.

Carr was also very impressed with the play of Lescault, "Hayden is playing well and doing lots of things to help us win," mentioned Carr. "He is guarding well and getting the ball to the right people."

Despite the strong performances by his guards it was the defensive effort by the Sea Lions which coach Carr was most proud of.

"We are getting into good defensive rhythms," Carr explained. "Guys are accepting their roles both offensively and defensively, and at the end of the year is when you should be playing well. We have room for improvement which is a good sign, and we will keep working to get better.

Carr was also very impressed with the continued support of the Sea Lions students and the Green Sea. "Playing at home in front of our fans and the student body is great," said Carr. "Our guys love playing in front of the Green Sea and boy are they a help for us during the game, especially on the defensive end. The Green Sea brings a lot of energy to this gym and we welcome them. When they come out in big numbers they are an incredible help."

The Sea Lions will be back at home on Thursday, Feb. 13 to take on Hawaii Pacific (12-8, 7-7 PacWest) at 7:30 p.m.