(AZUSA, Calif.) No. 9 PLNU Men's Basketball moved to within one win of clinching at least a share of a fourth straight PacWest championship with a 70-59 win at Azusa Pacific on Wednesday night.
Point Loma (22-5 overall, 15-2 PacWest) holds a 1.5 game lead over Biola (20-6, 14-4) in the conference standings but maintains the head-to-head tiebreaker between the two teams.
One more victory for the Sea Lions would clinch not only a share of the PacWest title but also the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament (March 6-8).
Point Loma utilized a 12-0 run late in the first half, sparked by back-to-back baskets from
Matur Dhal, to take an 11-point lead into the locker room after three straight PLNU offensive possessions resulted in a made 3-pointer.
The Sea Lions extended their lead to as many as 12 in the second half following a steal and score from
Luke Haupt, who led all players with 16 points.
The Cougars fought back to within two, but the visitors never relinquished their lead in the second half to move one step closer to another conference crown.
Three other Sea Lions joined Haupt in double figures, with
Zackry Paulsen (14 points),
Pierce Davis (13 points) and
Tyce Paulsen (11 points) scoring double-digit points.
Point Loma returns home on Saturday to host Vanguard at 4 p.m. in Golden Gym.
