OAKLAND - Bill Carr's Point Loma teams have always prided themselves on defense, but to set a defensive mark that has not been matched by any Sea Lion team in over a half-century is something special.
 
Tonight (Jan. 29) PLNU went on the road and held Holy Names to just 34 points in a 65-34 victory. That was the lowest point total PLNU has allowed since the 1955-56 season against Kirtland Air Force Base (78-34).  
 
The Sea Lions are now 6-2 on the road this season. The win helps them maintain their grip on sixth place in the PacWest standings with a 7-5 conference mark (14-5 overall). Holy Names dropped to 3-17 on the season and to 1-11 in the PacWest. The top six teams in the final PacWest standings will qualify for the conference's postseason tournament, with the top two teams receiving first round byes.
 
Junior Morgan went 8-of-10 from the field to lead the Sea Lions with a game-high 19 points.  Marek Klassen added 14 points and a team-leading five rebounds. Zach Burnham came off the bench with 10 points. Nine different student-athletes scored for PLNU which shot 52 percent in the game.
 
On the other side of the ball, Point Loma held Holy Names to just 26 percent shooting, and only 19 percent in the first half (5-of-26) to build a 28-14 lead at intermission. The Hawks finished the game 12-of-47 from the field and 3-of-17 from long range. PLNU also controlled the glass, outrebounding HNU 37-25.
 
"The guys came out with good energy on defense," said Point Loma head coach Bill Carr. "We blocked out well and closed out possessions.
 
"The two big guys (Burnham and Morgan) did a good job of being a presence inside," he added. "They were physical and scoring around the rim."
 
Point Loma opened the game on an 11-0 run and closed the half with a 15-3 spurt. Holy Names did not get on the board until the 14:55 mark in the first half. The 31-point margin of victory was the largest lead of the game for the Sea Lions.
 
The 34 points allowed eclipsed the low of 35 given up in the Bill Carr era. The Sea Lions defeated West Coast Baptist 82-35 last season.
 
"We competed for all 40 minutes," said Carr.
 
"This was a good conference road win," he added. "Now we move on."
 
The Sea Lions will now face Notre Dame de Namur in Belmont, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 3:00 p.m.