SAN DIEGO - Jessica Escorza posted her second double-double in the last three games, and the Point Loma women's basketball team shot 49 percent from the field to knockoff the defending Pacific West Conference champions, Academy of Art, 75-58 on Wednesday, Jan. 14.
 
This was the Sea Lions' fourth win in their last five contests as they crept closer to .500. PLNU is now 7-8 on the season as it moved into a tie for fourth place in the conference standings with ART U (10-6) and two other teams at 5-3.
 
Escorza registered her fifth 20-point game and second double-double of the season with her 20-point, 10-rebound performance. She went 6-of-9 from the field, 2-of-2 from 3-point range and 6-of-6 at the free throw line. The senior forward also had three steals and handed out six assists, one short of her season-high.
 
Escorza was one of four Sea Lions with 10 or more points as Madison West, Alex Brunk and Sydney Tonack all joined her with double-figures in the scoring column. Brunk came off the bench to set a career-high with 13 points. She made 5-of-8 from the field and 3-of-6 from long range. Tonack scored all 12 of her points in the first half as she hit all five of her shots from the field. Madison West added 11 points and a career-best eight rebounds.
 
Point Loma seized control of the game with a 16-0 run late in the first half which ART U was never able to recover from. PLNU held a 26-20 advantage before rattling off 16 straight points to extend its lead to 42-20. Five different Sea Lions scored during the run. The Sea Lions would take a 44-26 lead into the locker room and go up by as many as 25 points (69-44) in the second half before settling on the 17-point margin of victory (75-58).
 
"I was pleased with how hard we played tonight," said Point Loma head coach Bill Westphal. "We are getting contributions from more than one player and that is making us tough to play against."
 
"We put them away in the first half," he added.
 
The Sea Lions had their best game of the year on the glass as it outrebounded ART U 46-35. Riley Abraham collected a game-high 11 caroms, including seven on the offensive glass. Four different Sea Lions had at least seven rebounds.
 
"We needed more size and athleticism in the lineup so we went with Roya (Rustamzada) today and it really resulted in good defense and energy in the first half," noted Westphal.
 
Eight different Sea Lions also scored in the game and the PLNU bench outscored ART U's 26-9. Academy of Art held a lead for only 70 seconds in the contest.
 
Point Loma will now travel to California Baptist on Saturday, Jan. 17 for a game at 5:00 p.m. The Lancers are currently in second in the PacWest standings (6-1) and are 13-2 overall.