OAKLAND, Calif. – Daulton Hommes lit up Holy Names with 35 points in 28 minutes to help lead the No. 9 ranked Point Loma men's basketball team to an 82-57 road victory. (Feb. 9)
 
The Hawks entered the contest on a four-game winning and coming off a big win against second-place Concordia. However, this was the Sea Lions, and coach Looney had his team prepared for the challenge.
 
Point Loma held the Hawks to just 23 first-half points on .259 percent shooting to build a 32-23 lead at the half.
 
In the second half, Hommes and the Sea Lions caught fire. Hommes scored 23 of his 35 points after the break as PLNU shot .692 percent from the field in the period. Hommes went 9-for-10 in the second half and 3-for-3 from 3-point range, while posting five rebounds, in just 14 minutes of play.
 
Preston Beverly added 11 points, and a pulled down a game-high eight rebounds to help PLNU win the battle of the boards 38-25. Brock Mackenzie came off the bench to hit 4-of-5 shots, including both his shots from behind the arc to also reach double figures with 10 points. Andre Green paced the Hawks with 15 points.
 
Holy Names finished the game shooting just .298 percent from the field, and .240 percent from 3-point range. Meanwhile, PLNU shot .574 percent from the field and .571 percent from long range (8-of-14).
 
Team Records
#9 Point Loma (20-3, 16-1 PacWest), Holy Names (11-12, 10-8 PacWest)
 
PacWest Implications
With PLNU and Concordia both winning on Saturday, the Sea Lions continue to hold a 2.5 game lead on the Eagles for first place in the PacWest standings. Chaminade is in third place, four games back. The loss keeps Holy Names in fifth place (10-8).
 
The Turning Point
The start of the second half was again the turning point for the Sea Lions. Preston Beverly put momentum on PLNU's side with a tough, contested shot right before halftime. Then Point Loma went on a 25-10 run to open the second period to extend their lead from nine to 24. They would cap off the run by scoring on nine straight possessions.
 
Words from coach Looney
On Hommes' night: "He was pretty special offensively, but I thought the rest of our guys did a really good job of moving the ball and finding him in open spots."
 
On the Sea Lions' defense: "We executed our plan defensively maybe better than we have in any other game this year. We thought we needed to do a really good job containing their guards and we focused a lot on our bigs being great helpers. I thought everyone we played in those positions did a fantastic job."
 
On playing in the tough environment: "We matured and got better tonight. We tried not to make the moment bigger than it was. We wanted to look at it just like another game. We want to be as good on the road as we are at home, and I think our team collectively responded to that challenge."
 
On the upcoming homestand: "We are excited to come back home and hope the students on campus and people in the community are too. It is an opportunity to generate a lot of interest and excitement around our team. However, we know that where we are at, it is about doing a good job at the next practice so we can be ready as we can be for our next game."

News and Notes
> PLNU has won 20 games in back-to-back seasons for just the second time since 1985-86 & 1986-87
> Hommes has scored in double figures in all 23 games this season
> This was the sixth game this season Hommes has scored 30 or more points
> Point Loma is 12-3 all-time against Holy Names, and have won the last nine in a row
> PLNU shot .276 percent better than HNU, its best margin of the season

Up Next
The Sea Lions will return home to close out the regular season with a five-game homestand. PLNU will first welcome in Hawaii Hilo on Thursday, Feb. 14 before Chaminade (RV) comes town on Saturday, Feb. 16.