IRVINE, Calif. - The No. 3 seeded Point Loma women's basketball team posted a season-best point total, while matching the PacWest Conference record for points in a regulation tournament game, to defeat No. 6 BYU-Hawaii 88-65 in the first round of the Pacific West Conference Championships on Thursday, Mar. 5.
 
The victory moves PLNU to the second round of the PacWest Championships. The Sea Lions (19-10) will face No. 2 seed California Baptist on Friday (Mar. 6) at 11:30 a.m. BYU-Hawaii completes their season at 15-12.
 
Riley Abraham and Madison West scored 17 and 18 points, respectively, but it was the team effort, and a 56-point first half, that earned the Sea Lions the win. Eight different PLNU student-athletes scored in the first 20 minutes as Point Loma built a 56-30 halftime lead. The Sea Lions shot 65 percent (22-of-34) in the first half and outrebounded BYUH 19-9.
 
"I love the way we came out in the first half with a whole lot of energy and team spirit," said Point Loma head coach Bill Westphal. "That was about as good a half as we have had all year."
 
"We were all playing together and playing our game," added Abraham.
 
Abraham scored 15 of her 17 points in the first half in just 14 minutes of play. She went a perfect 8-for-8 from the field in the game. West was 7-of-11 shooting en route to scoring her team-leading 18 points. Alex Brunk also came off the bench and hit three 3-pointers to score 11 points, two short of her career-high. The effort by Brunk helped the Sea Lions' bench outscore the Seasiders' 35-13. Jessica Escorza added nine points, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals in the win.
 
Whitney Fieldsted paced the Seasiders with a game-high 19 points and seven rebounds. PLNU forced BYU-Hawaii into 23 turnovers and outscored them 44-24 on points in the paint.   
 
The 88 points for PLNU matched the most-ever for a team in the PacWest tournament regulation game.
 
The Sea Lions will now prepare to face Cal Baptist on Friday, Mar. 6 at 11:30 a.m. This will be the third meeting of the season between the two teams. They have split their previous contests, with each team winning on the road.
 
"I think Cal Baptist might have as good of talent as anyone in the league," add Westphal. "We are both similar teams and it might come down to who is hitting their shots."