(SAN DIEGO) PLNU Women's Basketball used its two highest-scoring quarters of the season to overturn an early deficit and defeat visiting Chaminade on Wednesday night in Golden Gym, 72-59.
 
"I thought we started off a little slow," Head Coach Charity Elliott said. "Chaminade came in attack mode and I don't think we responded well, but it was great to see the way we came back in the second quarter and carried that into the third."
 
Trailing 9-14 after the first period, a free throw and made jumper from Haylee Saurette sparked the Sea Lions on an 11-0 run to start the second quarter. PLNU put up 26 points in the entire second to take a five-point halftime lead, 35-30.
 
PLNU then followed that up with another 24 in the third, as the Sea Lions shot a combined 52.8% from the field in the second and third quarters.
 
The team then extended its lead to as many as 20 with just over three minutes to play in the fourth before winning by a final margin of 13.
 
Point Loma dominated in the painted area, holding a 30-12 advantage in points in the paint and a 48-33 margin in rebounds, including 21-11 on the offensive glass.
 

FINAL@plnu_wbb - 72
Chaminade - 59

H. Saurette | 16 pts, 8 rbs
E. Turk | 13 pts, 5 ast
S. O'Neil | 9 pts
A. Henderson | 9 pts pic.twitter.com/r9Ya0ScspZ

— PLNU Sea Lions (@PLNUSeaLions) January 26, 2023

 
Saurette led PLNU with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Ellie Turk scored 13 and dished out five assists.
 
Shayla O'Neil and Alix Henderson both nearly reached double figures off the bench with nine points apiece, leading a second unit that outscored Chaminade's 29-7.
 
With the win, the Sea Lions improved to 15-0 all-time against the Silverswords.


 
"We have to figure out how we can start games better and be locked in from the beginning," Elliott said. "The last couple games we have been able to climb back into games but it is not something we are looking to continue."
 
Point Loma (10-12 overall, 8-6 PacWest) now goes back on the road to take on Fresno Pacific on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Sea Lions defeated the Sunbirds, 66-61, back on Dec. 19 in San Diego.