AZUSA, Calif. - Sophomores Brock Mackenzie and Kaden Anderson combined to post 40 points and the Point Loma men's basketball outscored No. 3 seed Chaminade 56-38 in the second half to earn an 83-74 victory in the semifinals of the PacWest Championships. PLNU will now advance to the PacWest title game on Saturday, Mar. 7 at 4:30 p.m.
 
The Sea Lions started the game flat, falling behind by as many as 15 points (26-11) in the first half. A pair of 3-pointers by Mackenzie and Noah Stapes pulled the deficit to single-digits (36-27) at the half and give PLNU some momentum.
 
In the second half, it did not take Point Loma long erase Chaminade's nine-point halftime lead. PLNU scored 11 of the first 13 points after the break to tie the game. The Sea Lions would extend their run to 19-5 to start the second half and go in front 46-41. They never yielded the lead back to the Silverswords.
 
Chaminade cut the Sea Lions' lead to a single basket on multiple occasions, even getting it down to one, but each time PLNU had the answer on the offensive or defensive end of the floor. The Sea Lions helped prevent any comeback by closing out the game by making 11-of-14 free throws in the final three minutes.
 
Mackenzie scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half to fuel the comeback. He went 6-of-9 from 3-point range, and he was part of the first five scores for PLNU in the second half. Anderson added 12 rebounds and five blocks to go along with his 20 points. He went 8-of-13 from the field and 2-of-3 from behind the arc. Darnell Robateau added 13 points and eight assists. Sterling Somers had six assists to go along with his 11 points and seven rebounds. Eliet Donley had a game-high 29 points for Chaminade, and Kendal Small added 22 in just 19 minutes.  
 
Team Records
Point Loma (23-6), Chaminade (18-11)
 
Turning Point
Between the 3:00-minute mark in the first half and the 14:11 mark in the second half, PLNU outscored Chaminade by 18 (27-9). This run erased a nine-point deficit and gave Point Loma a lead it would never relinquish en route to the win.
 
Words from coach Matt Logie and the student-athletes

News and Notes
> This is the second straight season PLNU has reached the PacWest Championship game
> Mackenzie has hit five 3-pointer in a game five times this season
> PLNU is now 19-1 this season when scoring 73 or more points
> Anderson has posted double-doubles in consecutive games and now leads PLNU with seven double-doubles
> The five blocks are a career-high for Anderson
> Somers has now reached the PacWest Championship game in three of his four seasons

Up Next
PLNU will face the winner of No. 1 seed Azusa Pacific and No. 4 seed Biola in the PacWest Championship game on Saturday, Mar. 7 at 4:30 p.m.