OAKLAND, Calif. - Point Loma outscored the Academy of Art women's basketball team 21-9 in the fourth quarter to battle from behind for an 83-74 victory on the road.
 
Onjalise Carley-Hilliard and Cara Liggins combined for 52 points to lead the Sea Lions. Carley-Hilliard scored 17 of her game-high 27 points in the second half to help Point Loma overcome a nine-point, third-quarter deficit. The senior forward went 11-of-18 from the field and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Liggins went 9-of-15 from the field, and 4-of-7 from 3-point range, to register her seventh game of the season with 20 or more points. The junior added six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal in the win.
 
Haylee Saurette moved into the starting lineup and picked up her third double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Her effort on the glass helped PLNU outrebound ARTU 58-44 and outscore the Urban Knights 40-10 on points in the paint. Josselyn Morris led Academy of Art with 20 points, and Tayler Bennett chipped in with 15.
 
After taking a 20-12 early in the game, the Sea Lions saw the Urban Knight fight back with a 17-2 run and take a 44-40 lead into halftime. The Urban Knights pushed their lead to as many as nine points late in the third quarter (64-55), but the Sea Lions were able to cut it to three points (65-62) on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Isabel Turk. That play started to put the momentum back on the Sea Lions' side. The teams exchanged baskets for the opening minutes of the fourth quarter before PLNU took off with a 12-2 run over the final six minutes to seal the game. Carley-Hilliard scored six of the Sea Lions' 10 points during this stretch, and Kennedi Byram added four.  
 
Team Records
Point Loma (17-10, 13-8 PacWest), Academy of Art (9-16, 7-14 PacWest)
 
PacWest Implications
The win, coupled with a loss from Biola, pulls the Sea Lions within a half-game of the Eagles for the No. 4 seed in the upcoming PacWest Tournament. The loss drops ART U into a tie for eighth.
 
Turning Point
The way the Sea Lions closed the fourth quarter on both ends of the court earned them the road win. They held the Urban Knights to 0-of-11 in the final six minutes and forced three turnovers. Meanwhile, PLNU worked the ball into Carley-Hilliard and found open shooters to outscore ART U 12-2 in the final six minutes.
 
Words from coach Lisa Faulkner
On the fourth-quarter comeback: "Energy defensively fueled the fourth quarter. We played with energy and effort, and were able to get stops."
 
On the challenges of playing the duo of Carley-Hilliard and Liggins: "Onj and Cara are tough. They make a great inside out combo and are looking to be aggressive!"
 
On regular-season finale against Holy Names: "We have a quick turnaround with Holy Names so we need to remain focused. The fundamentals are the staples to us playing great basketball."
 
News and Notes
> PLNU has now won seven straight games against ART U
> The 27 points for Carley-Hilliard match her career-high which she has hit three times this season
> The 12 rebounds for Henderson were a career-high
> The victory guaranteed Point Loma a winning road record for the season (8-6)
 
Next Game
Point Loma will close out the regular season at Holy Names on Saturday, Feb. 29. The game will tip-off at 2 p.m.