SAN FRANCISCO - Five Sea Lions scored in double-figures and the Point Loma men's basketball team posted a 23-2 run in the second half to earn a 71-64 comeback victory at Academy of Art on Thursday, Jan. 7.
 
PLNU has now won back-to-back PacWest contests to even their conference record at 3-3 (7-5 overall). With the loss, ARTU drops to 4-8, and to 2-4 in the PacWest.
 
Point Loma trailed 39-29 at the half, and fell behind 47-34 in with less than 15 minutes remaining, before finding their stride. Over the next 10 minutes the Sea Lions outscored the Urban Knights 23-2, including a 17-0 stretch, to take their first lead since early in the first half. During the run, the Sea Lions held ARTU to just one basket, and the Urban Knights converted on only seven shots in the final 14:35 of the game. PLNU got nine points from Judd Welfringer and another seven from Mike Planeta to propel their run.  
 
Tanner Lancona led Point Loma by recording his second double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds. He scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half to help keep PLNU within striking distance. Sam Okhotin and Josh Rodriguez led PLNU with 15 points apiece. Okhotin had a game-high three 3-pointers and Rodriguez was a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe. Mike Planeta and Judd Welfringer chipped in with 12 points each, as the guards combined to shoot 9-of-13 from the field.
 
The Sea Lions took advantage of each opportunity and every ARTU mistake to make their comeback. They went 17-of-22 from the free throw line, including 13-of-16 in the second half. PLNU also worked hard on the glass, outrebounding ARTU 24-13 over the final 20 minutes and outscoring them 8-2 in second-chance points. Point Loma ended the second half shooting 50 percent from the field (12-of-24) while holding the Urban Knights to 31 percent shooting (11-of-35).
 
Uchenna Okeneme led four Urban Knights in double-figures with 19 points. ARTU dropped in shooting percent by 26 percent from the first to the second half (57.7 to 31.4 percent). PLNU outrebounded ARTU 36-27, and outscored them by 11 at the free throw line and by 12 from behind the arc.
 
Point Loma will try to build on this momentum when it hosts Hawaii Hilo on Saturday, Jan. 9 at 4:00 p.m.