(IRVINE, Calif.) PLNU Men's Basketball picked up a crucial road win at Concordia on Thursday night in what continues to be a tight race at the top of the PacWest standings.
The Sea Lions' 82-74 victory over the Golden Eagles moves Point Loma (17-7 overall, 12-4 PacWest) a half-game ahead of Academy of Art (16-7, 11-4), who was off on Thursday, with Hawai'i Pacific (15-7, 10-4) lurking as well.
PLNU hosts HPU on Saturday.
Luke Smith (20 points) and
Zack Paulsen (17 points) each hit three 3-pointers to lead a group of five Sea Lions in double figures.
Jaden Matingou, who led all players with six assists, and
Pierce Davis both scored 12 points off the bench.
Coby Barnes added 11 points and seven boards.
Point Loma scored 41 points in each half while shooting 61.1% from the field, its highest overall efficiency in any game this season.
The Sea Lions outrebounded the Golden Eagles 31-20, including 8-5 on the offensive glass, leading to a 13-3 advantage in second-chance points.
PLNU led by as many as 16 with just over three minutes left in the second half before closing out its second-straight victory.
Point Loma will now take on Hawai'i Pacific at 8 p.m. on Saturday in Golden Gym as part of Homecoming weekend.
