SAN DIEGO - Defense and rebounding were the keys today for the Point Loma women's basketball team in a 64-48 victory over defending PacWest Champions Hawaii Pacific (Feb. 6). The Sea Lions limited the Sharks to just 28 percent shooting while winning the rebounding and turnover battles.
 
The victory extended Point Loma's winning streak to eight straight games and helped them pass HPU (13-9, 10-5 PacWest) for fifth place in the PacWest standings. PLNU is now 16-5 on the season and 9-4 in the PacWest.
 
It was a bit of a slow start for PLNU, falling behind 15-6 early before putting together a 22-2 run to take a lead it would never relinquish. HPU scored 15 points in the first six minutes of the game and just 33 points over the final 34 minutes. Point Loma ended up winning every quarter, including the second, 18-5, to lead 34-20 at the half.
 
Amy Ogren helped spark the run after coming in off the bench midway through the first quarter. She scored eight of her 13 points during the run and had two assists. She finished the game shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-3 from 3-point range. Alex Brunk recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds, to go along with three steals. Madison West led all scorers with 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting.
 
PLNU also benefited from a strong performance at the line, hitting 15-of-19 free throws. The Sea Lions made more free throws (15) than the Sharks attempted (12). In the end Point Loma also won the rebounding battle 37-36 and turnover battle 16-15. The Sea Lion bench, aided by Ogren, outscored the Sharks' 15-12.
 
Hawaii Pacific's Breanna Mackenzie, who entered the contest fifth in the PacWest with 17.9 points per game, was held to just 12 points on 4-of-19 shooting. She was just 2-for-10 from behind the arc.
 
This was the first of a critical five-game stretch for PLNU in which their opponents are all ahead of them in the PacWest standings and have a combined .733 winning percentage (84-24).
 
The Sea Lions' next game will be Thursday, Feb. 11 when it hosts Dominican (15-6, 11-3 PacWest) at 5:30 p.m.