SAN DIEGO - The Point Loma men's and women's basketball teams will open the new year with a critical three-game road trip in Hawaii. The teams will begin the journey at Hawaii Hilo on Saturday, Jan. 4, before facing Hawaii Pacific on Jan. 6 and Chaminade on Jan. 8.
 
Follow along
Links to all the games will be available on the respective team schedule on plnusealions.com or on the host team's sports website. Updates will also be posted to Twitter throughout the game.
 
The men's team
Point Loma is 8-3 on the season and in second place in the PacWest (4-1). PLNU has climbed into the top 25 on two occasions this season. The first was after starting the season at 3-0, and the second was after their 4-0 start in conference play.
 
The Sea Lions feature a balanced attack on the offensive side of the ball with six players scoring in double-figures. Sterling Somers has stepped into the leadership role for Point Loma on and off the court this year. He leads the team in points (14.5), ranks second in assists (2.7) and third in rebounds (6.3) while shooting a career-high .614 percent from the field (second in the PacWest). Jordan May has averaged 20.6 ppg since being named a starter at the beginning of PacWest play (6.3 ppg off the bench).
 
The women's team
PLNU is 9-2 on the season and tied for first place in the conference with Hawaii Pacific at 5-0. The Sea Lions have won eight straight games since starting the season at 1-2. Their defense and rebounding have fueled their winning streak. The Sea Lions have allowed just 55.0 ppg in the last eight games, after giving up 79.3 ppg in their first three. They are also ranked 19th in the country with a plus-10.5 rebounding margin.
 
Onjalise Carley-Hilliard has given the team a presence inside it has not had in recent memory. The senior forward is ranked seventh in the conference with 16.0 ppg, while leading the PacWest with a .556 field goal percentage. Cara Liggins (11.9 ppg) and Sydney Peterson (11.8 ppg) also average double-figures, while Carol Schroeder is right behind with 9.8 ppg.
 
The men's opponents
The Sea Lions will open with Hawaii Hilo (4-5, 2-3 PacWest) on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. This will be the second meeting between the teams this season as the Vulcans came to San Diego on Dec. 12. PLNU won the opening contest 82-68, behind 25 points from Jordan May. The Sea Lions will then face Hawaii Pacific (4-7, 2-3 PacWest) on Monday, Jan. 6. Ronald Blain leads the team in both scoring (15.4) and rebounding (6.5). The trip will conclude with a matchup against Chaminade (6-4, 4-1 PacWest) on Wednesday, Jan. 8. The Silverswords are tied with PLNU for second place in the PacWest. Tyler Cartaino is leading the PacWest in scoring (19.9 ppg) while ranking third in shooting percentage (.582).
 
The women's opponents
This will also be the second matchup of the season for the women against Hawaii Hilo (2-7, 1-4 PacWest). PLNU took care of business against them at home before the break, winning 78-46 as Carley-Hilliard and Haylee Saurette each went 6-of-8 from the field and combined for 38 points. The game against Hawaii Pacific (10-1, 5-0 PacWest) will tip-off at 6:30 p.m. (PST) on Monday, Jan. 6 and be one of the biggest in the conference next week. Both teams will enter the game perfect in PacWest play and on winning streaks of at least six games. Five Sharks average double-figure points per game, with Starr Rivera leading the way with 15.7 ppg. The trip will conclude at Chaminade (2-9, 2-3 PacWest) on Wednesday, Jan. 8. Destiny Castro leads the team with 16.7 ppg and paces the PacWest with 3.5 steals per game.
 
Next home games
Both the Point Loma men's and women's basketball team will return to San Diego to host three-game homestands beginning on Monday, Jan. 13 against the Academy of Art in the school's Welcome Back Game. Tickets are still available at plnusealions.com/tickets.