SAN DIEGO - After winning their first five games of the season, the Point Loma women's basketball team has dropped two straight, including tonight's PacWest Conference opener to Azusa Pacific, 61-50 (Dec. 3).
 
The Sea Lions are now 5-2 on the season (0-1 PacWest), while the Cougars improved to 7-2 (1-0 PacWest).
 
Point Loma never found its offensive rhythm in the game, and ended up shooting just 32 percent from the field, and 10 percent from the 3-point line (2-of-20). The three top scorers for PLNU went just 10-for-42 in the game. 
 
"This is so uncharacteristic of our first five games of the year," Point Loma head coach Bill Westphal explained. "We were playing smart and together, but these last two games we have gotten away from those things. We didn't perform tonight."
 
Point Loma trailed APU 30-23 at the half. It cut the Cougars' lead to 42-40 at the end of the third quarter, and the Sea Lions took their first lead of the game at 46-44 on an offensive rebound and put back by Alex Brunk with 7:55 remaining. The teams then exchanged a pair of baskets before APU took off on a 14-2 run to close the game and hand the Sea Lions their first home loss of the season.
 
"We had the game plan to win, and the opportunity to win, but we just bricked it," said Westphal. "We just couldn't finish today."
 
Alex Brunk led the Sea Lions with 12 points and nine rebounds. Sydney Tonack and Roya Rustamzada were also in double-figures in points with 10 and 11, respectively.
 
Kelly Hardeman paced APU with 15 points and 12 rebounds. The Cougars had assists on 19 of their 23 baskets, while PLNU assisted on just seven of their 18 made shots.

The Point Loma Athletic Department also held its first Military Night at the games today. Both former and active duty military members were honored at the game, and the fans in attendance all wore a special PLNU camouflage logo t-shirt. 
 
The Point Loma women's basketball team will look to right the ship and get its first PacWest victory of the season this Saturday (Dec. 5) when it hosts Dixie State at 2:00 p.m.