(IRVINE, Calif.) PLNU Women's Basketball won a defensive battle with Concordia on Saturday night in Irvine, 51-47, to remain unbeaten in PacWest play.
"What a battle tonight," Head Coach
Charity Elliott said. "I'm so proud of our team for fighting through adversity and getting a win. It took every single person doing their job to grind this one out."
Point Loma held its opponents below 60 points for the third straight game and to 50 or fewer points in consecutive contests.
Grace Moyers, who ranks second in the PacWest in 3-point shooting %, took advantage of her first start of the season by making three of the team's four 3-pointers at a 50% clip.
Moyers' triple in the final seconds of the opening quarter gave the Sea Lions a 16-15 advantage after the first, before her 3-pointer late in the first half extended the visitors' lead to a game-high 28-21 going into the locker room.
"I thought Grace was huge for us tonight," Elliott said. "She stepped up on both ends of the floor."
Point Loma then led until the 8:47 mark in the fourth quarter, when Concordia retook its advantage.
With PLNU trailing by two with just over a minute remaining in regulation,
Eiley Tippins tied the game before
Kaylee Byon scored what proved to be the game-winning basket with just 15 seconds left.
After a Tippins steal, Byon then added a pair of clutch free throws to ice the game and seal the Sea Lions' seventh straight victory.
"It was a tough night offensively for us, but our defense kept us in the game," Elliott said. "When it mattered most, we got some big baskets and huge free throws from
Kaylee Byon."
Byon led all scorers with 11 points, seven of which came at the free throw line. Moyers and
Alli McDonald added nine points apiece, while Tippins and
Maddie Mersch each pitched in with eight points each.
"This is conference play for you, nothing is easy," Elliott said. "Especially on the road, you have to find a way to win and that's what we did."
Point Loma (9-3 overall, 4-0 PacWest) returns to Golden Gym on Friday for an exhibition against Westcliff at 5:30 p.m.
