(HONOLULU) "Be a goldfish."
PLNU Women's Basketball Head Coach
Charity Elliott wore a shirt with that quote on it to shootaround on Friday in reference to the tv show
Ted Lasso and a goldfish's supposed short-term memory.
Her team couldn't have modeled that quote any better in the first round of the PacWest Tournament.
After giving up a 15-point second half lead to fourth-seeded Biola, fifth-seeded Point Loma forced overtime before prevailing 67-61 to advance to the PacWest semifinals for the second-straight year.
"We knew there were going to be some ups and downs and it was going to go back and forth, but I really think at the end of the game and particularly in overtime, we stayed very neutral and steady," Elliott said. "We responded extremely well to their comeback. We were up 15 and then they got the momentum.
"They went on a massive run and credit to them. How we responded after that shows tremendous growth, experience and leadership."
Haylee Saurette ensured that overtime would be played, hitting a pair of clutch reverse layups in the closing seconds to force the extra period.
Trailing by two, Saurette utilized a screen from
Ellie Turk to go underneath the basket and finish with her right hand to tie the score with 13 seconds to play.
After the game, the senior forward called a reverse layup her favorite shot.
So after Biola retook the lead with just three seconds remaining, why not go to it again?
Point Loma inbounded the ball from the wing to Saurette, who went to the reverse layup once more, getting her shot to fall with only 0.9 on the clock.
"It means the world to me that the team has the confidence in me to give me the ball in those last-second possessions," Saurette said. "I was just glad I could pull it off for them."
Point Loma then outscored Biola 8-2 in overtime, clamping down defensively with three steals in the final two minutes, including two from
Maddie Mersch.
Allie Carreon hit a go-ahead triple, her fifth of the game, with 1:54 remaining before Saurette's dagger of a jumper with 23 seconds to spare put the game on ice.
"We practice overtime situations and I feel like we executed very well," Carreon said of her team down the stretch.
While Saurette (21 points, 10 rebounds) took over the game late, it was Carreon (21 points) who carried the team early and sparked PLNU's 19-5 run to start the third quarter with a triple and a 3-point play.
"My teammates were giving me confidence in shootaround and I just felt confident going into this game," Carreon said. "I was ready to knock down shots."
With the game and their season on the line, the Sea Lions turned to their Second Team All-PacWest duo of Carreon and Saurette to keep their season alive for at least one more day.
"It took everybody on our team," Saurette said. "
Ellie Turk had eight assists. We were moving the ball. It was definitely a team effort. I can't take all the credit. Allie can't take all the credit. We're just all-in and love each other."
The win, PLNU's eighth in its last nine games, earns Point Loma (16-13 overall) a semifinal matchup with top-seeded Azusa Pacific on Friday at 2:45 p.m. HT / 4:45 p.m. PT.
APU won the two regular season matchups between the two teams, by scores of 76-58 and 67-57.
"Anything can happen in March," Elliott said. "I love where our team is at right now. I love the way we're sharing the ball. We're having so much fun and joy with each other.
"Azusa presents an extremely difficult challenge. They're very talented across the board. We just want to bring our best."
