(NAMPA, Idaho) PLNU Women's Basketball overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to win its second-straight game and claim the unofficial Thanksgiving Classic title, defeating tournament host Northwest Nazarene on Saturday evening, 71-69.
 
"I'm so proud of this team. They continue to stick to the plan and stay together," Head Coach Charity Elliott said. "This was a tough and gutsy win against a very good team."
 
The Nighthawks and Sea Lions both won their games on Friday, meaning Saturday's matchup would leave only one team unbeaten for the tournament.

It was NNU who had the upper hand early, limiting PLNU to just 21 points in the first half on 33.3% shooting, before Point Loma nearly matched its first-half scoring output with 19 points in the third quarter alone.
 
Simultaneously, PLNU held NNU to just eight points in the third, its fewest points allowed in a quarter since Feb. 16, to give the Sea Lions a one-point lead going into the fourth.
 
A back-and-forth final quarter saw the teams trade leads multiple times, before Annika Thayer's layup with 1:31 to play tied the game with the last points of the period.
 
"In the first half we gave them too many second opportunities but in the second half I thought we controlled the boards and the tempo," Elliott said.
 
After Point Loma began overtime with a defensive stop, Madison Corder's offensive rebound resulted in a basket for Haylee Saurette, who scored eight of her game-high 22 points in the extra period.
 
After NNU briefly regained its advantage, Ellie Turk's bucket with just over a minute remaining restored Point Loma's lead for good.
 
With the Sea Lions in the bonus, PLNU shot an efficient 11-for-13 (84.6%) from the free throw line in overtime to seal the victory.
 
"Haylee had a phenomenal second half," Elliott said. "Madison Corder [eight points, four rebounds] and Annika [six points, six rebounds] both had huge impacts."
 
Saurette led all players with 22 points and 10 rebounds, her third double-double of the season. She now sits on 998 career points, as she looks to join the exclusive 1,000-point club.
 
Allie Carreon, after scoring a career-high 31 points in Friday's win over Simon Fraser, added 16 points while Turk also reached double figures with her 10 points.
 
Point Loma (2-4 overall) now returns to Golden Gym to take on West Region powerhouse Western Washington (3-1), ranked 13th nationally in the D2SIDA Media Poll after beginning the season ranked first, on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
 
That game will serve as PLNU's final non-conference contest before the Sea Lions begin PacWest play on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. against Academy of Art.