AZUSA, Calif. – Haylee Saurette came through with a game-tying 3-pointer with 39 seconds left in overtime, and Alix Henderson picked Tehya Burroughs' pocket at midcourt and finished it with a layup on the proceeding possession to lead the Point Loma women's basketball team to an 86-81 overtime win over Cal State San Bernardino in the PacWest/CCAA Conference Challenge.
 
Onjalise Carley-Hilliard led PLNU with 20 points on 9-of-19 shooting. She scored 18 of her 20 points in the first half. She was forced to sit out in overtime after fouling out. Carol Schroeder added 19 points and 11 rebounds. She went 9-of-11 from the free throw line. Sydney Peterson scored 10 of her 18 points from the charity stripe. Cara Liggins added 10 points and eight rebounds. Tatianna Russell paced CSUSB with a game-high 25 points.
 
PLNU led throughout the contest but could not hold back a scrappy Coyotes' team from pushing it to overtime. The Sea Lions were up 32-27 at the half and 52-49 to start the fourth quarter. CSUSB tied the game at 65-65 win 1:35 remaining. The teams then traded baskets before Peterson made a pair of free throws with 38 seconds remaining to put PLNU in front 70-68. The Coyotes would get three looks to tie the game, and Russell finally put the last one in with six seconds remaining to push the contest to overtime.
 
In the extra period, CSUSB scored the first basket to take a three-point lead. PLNU stuck around but never led until the back-to-back great plays by Saurette and Henderson gave them the lead for good.
 
Team Records
Point Loma (1-1, 0-0 PacWest), Cal State San Bernardino (0-2, 0-0 CCAA)
 
Words from coach Faulkner
On the shot from Saurette: "Close games come down to players making plays. We put Haylee into the game for offensive purposes because she is a tough matchup when we play her at the '5' because she is such a great shooter. We ran a pick-and-pop with her, and the defense got hung up on the drive, and she made a huge, huge 3-pointer to tie that game. It was a player stepping up in a big moment."
 
On Henderson's steal: "That essentially won us the game. That was just Alix stepping up in a big moment and making a play. I am proud of her for that. Throughout the course of the game, and down the stretch specifically, we had some really good moments, and probably could have won it in regulation."
 
On Carley-Hilliard's performance: "She is different from post players we've had in the past. She is a real good inside presence, and we have done a good job of getting our guards to find her when she is posting up. She is big and strong, and just having someone like that on the inside is huge for our team because those are high percentage shots."
 
On the importance of the win: "For all of us, and especially the returners, it was a collective sigh of relief. Now we know we are capable of and that we can win. We need to keep getting better every day in practice and make adjustments defensively.  We made some big strides today with our confidence, and I expect us to continue to grow."

News and Notes
> Point Loma had just 11 turnovers in the game
> PLNU outscored CSUSB 18-8 in points off turnovers, including 4-0 in overtime
> The Sea Lions also outscored the Coyotes 18-2 on fast break points
> Cara Liggins has scored double figures points in 13 of the Sea Lions' last 14 games dating back to last year
> Syndey Peterson has scored double figures in 10 straight games
> These teams also played in the second game of last season with CSUSB winning 67-59
> The Coyotes outscored PLNU by 27 from behind the arc

Up Next
The PLNU women's basketball team will face their third straight CCAA opponent when they play at Cal State San Marcos on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m.