(AZUSA, Calif.) Tuesday afternoon's matchup between the top-two teams in the PacWest Women's Basketball Preseason Poll lived up to the hype, as preseason conference favorites Azusa Pacific, ranked No. 24 in the D2CSC Poll, escaped with a 67-63 victory over Point Loma.
PLNU opened up the second half on a 10-0 run to overturn a halftime deficit against the defending conference champions.
However, the Cougars outscored the Sea Lions 23-9 in the fourth to end Point Loma's four-game winning streak and hand PLNU its first PacWest loss of the year.
APU held a narrow 37-35 lead after two quarters before
Shayla O'Neil scored seven of PLNU's 10-straight points to open up the second half.
Point Loma held Azusa Pacific to just seven points in the third, as
Katie Scott's bucket gave the Sea Lions a 10-point advantage entering the fourth.
The hosts then fought back to tie the game at the halfway point in the final quarter. Scott's free throw with 2:25 remaining put the visitors back up by one, only for the Cougars to score seven of the final nine points in the game.
Saturday's fourth quarter was the first time the Sea Lions have been held to single digits in a quarter this season.
Tavia Rowell and
Ellie Turk led PLNU with 12 points apiece, while O'Neil joined them in double figures with 10.
Point Loma (6-5 overall, 2-1 PacWest) return to the court on Dec. 30 against Chaminade. Tip-off inside Golden Gym is scheduled for 2 p.m.
