ST. GEORGE, Utah. - The Point Loma men's basketball team trailed Dixie State for much of the second half, but two of their newcomers stepped up big in the final minute to lift the Sea Lions to a 74-72 victory to close out its five-game road trip which opened PacWest play.
 
With 50 seconds left and PLNU down three, Josh Rodriguez drove the lane and kicked it to Tanner Nelson open in the corner for a game-tying 3-pointer. On the other end, the Trailblazers' Brandon Simister's layup attempt was blocked by Preston Beverly and he was subsequently fouled. He knocked down both free throws with 37 seconds left to give Point Loma its first lead (74-72) in over 10 minutes. PLNU sealed the game with two defensive stops.
 
Preston Beverly came off the bench to lead all scorers with 23 points. He was 7-of-10 from the field and 9-of-12 from the free throw line. He also added a game-high nine rebounds. Tanner Nelson joined Beverly in double-figures with 21 points. He was 8-of-16 from the field, including four 3-pointers. Rodriguez added nine points, nine assists and five steals. Kyler Nelson led Dixie State with 21 points and five rebounds.
 
Team Records
Point Loma (9-5, 3-2 PacWest), Dixie State (6-6, 3-2 PacWest)
 
PacWest Implications
Point Loma is now in a three-way tie with Concordia and Dixie State for fifth place in the PacWest standings. This was the Sea Lions' third straight PacWest victory.
 
The Turning Point
While Nelson's 3-pointer with 50 seconds left tied the game it was the Sea Lions' work on the defensive end that allowed for the comeback. PLNU limited the Trailblazers to just four points in the final 6:03, and outscored them 13-4 to earn the win.
 
Words from Coach Looney
On pulling out late win: "I was proud of our guys and I think we took a huge step forward tonight in the development of our team. There were a lot of things that happened could of allowed us to shut down (foul trouble, cold stretches), but when we needed plays down the stretch we found a way to make it happen."
 
On the game plan: "Guys bought into the game plan today. We thought because of the way Dixie State defends there were some things we could accomplish on offense and Tanner Nelson knocked down the 3-pointers we needed him to hit."
 
On forcing Dixie State into 19 turnovers: "We always zone Dixie State defensively. They are really good running their stuff against man-to-man defense. Our zone put them in a situation where they were not as comfortable on offense."
 
On PLNU losing first rebounding battle of the season: "It is harder for us to block out from the zone and they are a good rebounding team. We were willing to give some of that up tonight because we don't think they are a great 3-point shooting team."
 
News and Notes
> For the first time all season PLNU lost the rebounding battle (38-29)
> The 21 points for Nelson are his most in a Sea Lion uniform
> Dixie State hit nine 3-pointers in the contest. PLNU had allowed just 13 3-pointers in four other PacWest games this season
> The nine assists were a season-best for Rodriguez, who now ranks sixth in PLNU history with 419 career assists
> This was Point Loma's fourth-straight win over Dixie State
 
Up Next
The Point Loma men's basketball team will come home to host its first PacWest contests of the season. PLNU will welcome in Concordia on Wednesday, Jan. 3 and California Baptist on Friday, Jan. 5. Both games will begin at 7:30 p.m.