SAN DIEGO - Daulton Hommes followed up his 33 point opening-game performance with a 37 points output against Saint Martin's, but it was not enough as the Saints stormed back in the second half to defeat the Point Loma men's basketball team, 81-76.
 
Hommes was 9-of-14 from the field, 3-of-6 from 3-point range and 16-of-17 at the free throw line. He scored 26 points in the first half, including the Sea Lions' final 16 before the half to help Point Loma built a 43-28 halftime lead.
 
When the second half tipped off, PLNU scored the first two baskets to go up by 19 points (47-28). The Saints could have easily folded at this point, but instead they rallied with a 13-2 run to cut the Sea Lions' lead to single-digits.
 
After the teams traded baskets, the Saints used a 23-9 run to turn a 10-point deficit into a four-point lead (75-71) with 1:15 remaining. Three free throws by Hommes would cut the lead to one point with 20 seconds remaining, but on the ensuing possession, SMU was able to break the Sea Lions press and draw the foul. They hit both free throws to go back up by three. Hommes would get one more look from 3-point range, but his shot drew iron and the Saints collected the rebound to secure the win.
 
Point Loma shot .553 percent for the game but Saint Martin's took 12 more shots thanks to winning the turnover battle 18-9. SMU also outscored PLNU by 15 points from behind the arc as it went 10-of-17 from deep.
 
Josh Rodriguez had 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting for the Sea Lions to join Hommes and Preston Beverly (10) in double-figures. Tavian Henderson paced the Saints with 19 points.
 
Team Records
Point Loma (1-1), Saint Martin's (2-0)
 
The Turning Point
Rhett Baerlocher scored all 15 of his points in the second half after not taking a shot in the first half. He was 5-of-6 from behind the arc.
 
Words from Coach Looney
On Saint Martin's: "They are experienced, disciplined and stuck together as unit much better than we did in the second half."
 
On areas the Sea Lions need to improve: "We are very talented on offense but not very good in all the toughness areas which are actually the things that dictate winning and losing in college basketball. We just aren't on the same page defensively and aren't taking care of the ball or rebounding well enough."
 
On what PLNU needs to do to be ready for UCSD: "We have to get better in all the areas I just spoke about. It may be hard to do in the short window that we have, but to have a chance to win that game we are going to need to be better."
 
News and Notes
> The 70 points scored by Hommes are the most for any Sea Lion over a two-game stretch since joining NCAA Division II
> PLNU won its meeting with Saint Martin's last season, 85-77
> Saint Martin's outscored Point Loma in the second half 53-33
 
Up Next
The Point Loma men's basketball team will continue its early season homestand on Wednesday, Nov. 14 when it welcomes in crosstown rival UC San Diego for a 7 p.m. tip-off.