(SAN DIEGO) No. 5 PLNU Men's Basketball keeps making history.
Just five days after setting a new PacWest record for 3-pointers made in a single contest (22) and becoming the first PacWest team to win 30-straight conference games, Point Loma accomplished something else no one else in conference history has – finishing a PacWest season a perfect 20-0.
The Sea Lions capped off their unbeaten conference regular season with an 87-66 victory over visiting Hawaii Hilo on Senior Night Thursday inside Golden Gym.
"I'm just proud of these guys," Head Coach
Matt Logie said. "I'm excited and happy for them. Ultimately, this is an accomplishment they're going to remember for the rest of their lives.
"At the end of the day, it's about relationships. To go through the fire like these guys have this year and to climb that mountain, it takes a ton of trust in one another. It takes a ton of commitment. It takes a ton of love. It takes a lot of selflessness too. I'm proud of them and excited that I got the chance to be a part of it."
Making the occasion that much more special was that it came on Senior Night, with the team honoring graduating seniors
Kyle Colvin,
Wes Slajchert,
Tobin Karlberg,
Shamrock Campbell and
Kaden Anderson before the game.
"It's poetic," Logie said of accomplishing such a feat on Senior Night. "Our five seniors all got here in unique ways and I feel like this team in many ways is something that is bigger than any one of us.
"Each of their stories and how they got here is unique. Tobin, Sham, Wes, Kyle all chose to be here for their last season of eligibility because they wanted to be part of something special. Then Kaden could've graduated and gone anywhere he wanted. He's one of the best players in the country, regardless of level. He's my National Player of the Year for sure.
"For him to have the loyalty and see the vision that we had, and trust our stuff in putting this puzzle together, is a credit to his character and it's a credit to this place. This is a special place. We have great leadership – Ethan Hamilton, Brian Thornton, Jourdan Courneya, President Brower. This is a place that does things right, so I'm proud to think that we've honored that really well this year."
Anderson rose to the occasion as he always seems to do, pitching in a game-high 31 points and 11 rebounds for his 11th double-double of the season.
"Having family in town for Senior Night was extra motivation and going 20-0 in PacWest play was icing on the cake," Anderson said. "I had a great time out there with all my brothers."
PLNU trailed early, 12-6, but battled back with 7-0 and 14-2 runs to take a double-digit lead on Karlberg's 3-pointer.
"We knew that once we strung stops together, we were going to be fine," Karlberg said. "We were getting great shots every time down. I didn't even realize the big run, then all-of-a-sudden you look up and we're up 10-plus. It just happens gradually as we do what we're supposed to."
The Sea Lions took a 14-point lead into halftime, and led by as many as 27 in the second half, before winning by a final margin of 21 to cement their place in history.
Karlberg (13 points), a graduate transfer from Alaska Anchorage, came to Point Loma for moments like this.
"I can't say I knew we'd go 20-0 but I knew that going to battle with these guys gives you a really good shot," Karlberg said. "It made my decision really easy. Every single game, I'm just more and more grateful that I'm here and able to experience it with this group of guys."
Moments such as dumping water on Logie in the team meeting room postgame, which Anderson had the honors of doing.
"I wasn't missing; I know that," Anderson quipped, before Logie added, "He doesn't miss much."
Neither has the entire team the past three months, as Point Loma (25-3 overall, 20-0 PacWest) will take an overall 21-game winning streak into next week's PacWest Tournament in Honolulu.
As the top seed, the Sea Lions earned a first round bye and will advance straight to the semifinals on March 3 with a berth in the championship on the line.
But for now, the team will savor another piece of history in what has been a memorable season up to this point.
