HILO, Hawaii – No. 11 Point Loma built a big lead and then had to hold off a furious comeback attempt by the Vulcans late in the second half to earn its 12th straight victory with a 95-85 win at Hawaii Hilo.
 
PLNU looked focused from the very first tip. The Sea Lions did not let their big win from Thursday affect their play early as they built a 29-point lead in the first half and led 51-29 at halftime. In the second half, PLNU extended its lead to 31 points and were up by 19 with 3:56 left when Hawaii Hilo caught fire.
 
The Vulcans quickly chipped away at the lead. They went on a 17-4 run to cut the Sea Lions' lead to 84-78 with 1:16 remaining. After a layup by Ziggy Satterthwaite and a pair of free throws by Daulton Hommes looked like they might seal the game, Hawaii Hilo hit a layup and a 3-pointer to make it a three-point game at 88-85. The Vulcans fouled and put Tanner Nelson on the line. He missed both free throws but Sterling Somers grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He knocked down both free throws and then sealed the game with a steal on the other end of the court.
 
Somers finished the game with 11 points and five rebounds off the bench. Satterthwaite paced PLNU with 24 points on 10-of-11 shooting. Daulton Hommes posted 23 points, including 15 before the half when he went 5-of-5 from the field. Preston Beverly added 13 points and nine rebounds. Josh Rodriguez came through with a career-high 11 assists. James Griffin led Hawaii Hilo and all scorers with 25 points, including going 6-of-7 from 3-point range.
 
Point Loma shot .630 percent from the field and outrebounded the Vulcans, 42-17, However, Hawaii Hilo stayed in the contest thanks to the Sea Lions committing 24 turnovers and allowing Hawaii Hilo to shoot .531 percent from the field.

Team Records
Point Loma (16-2, 12-0 PacWest), Hawaii Hilo (7-7, 5-5 PacWest)
 
PacWest Implications
The win and the loss by Concordia at Chaminade earlier in the day, allowed Point Loma to take a 2.5 game lead on the Eagles and a 3.5 game lead on the Silverswords. Hawaii Hilo holds the sixth spot in the PacWest standings at 5-5.
 
Words from coach Looney
On finishing the Hawaii road trip at 3-0: "We knew this was going to be a tough stretch in our season. We are not only excited to be 3-0 in Hawaii, but we are excited to be 5-0 on this road swing. The guys are worn out and tired right now. We are excited to get home and get some rest."
 
On starting the game out strong: "We did a really good job executing our game plan. We got the ball to the right people in the right spots, but as the game went along, we got away from that as our guys became more and more fatigued."
 
On sharing the ball: "That is one area we are getting better and better in as the season goes along. I just hope that we continue to do this."
 
On returning to Golden Gym: "Our team as a whole had a lot of fun on this trip. Obviously, winning helps that, but we are excited to get back home. We are excited to play seven of our last 10 at home. Hopefully, we can develop our fan base over that stretch."

News and Notes
> PLNU had as many 3-pointers (six) in the first half as UHH had rebounds
> The 24 turnovers were a season-high, topping the 20 at Fresno Pacific
> Rodriguez posted double digit assists for the fourth time in his career
> The 95 points are the second-most for the Sea Lions this season (100 vs. Montana State Billings)
> PLNU is 6-0 in its last six games in Hawaii
> Hommes has scored in double figures in all 18 games this season
> Point Loma is 15-0 in games in which it makes as many free throws as its opponent has attempts

Up Next
The No. 11 Point Loma men's basketball team will return home next week to face a pair of PacWest opponents. PLNU will host Dominican on Thursday, Jan. 24 in the Sea Lions' Welcome Back Game. They will then play Academy of Art on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 4 p.m. Tickets are just $8 for adults, $6 for non-PLNU students with ID and $5 for seniors and military.