(LAKELAND, Fla.) No. 11 PLNU Men's Basketball pushed the defending national champions to the very end, with No. 2 Gannon narrowly defeating Point Loma, 101-94, in the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic on Sunday afternoon.
Point Loma scored more points than all but two teams did against Gannon last season when the Golden Knights went 34-3 record and won the NCAA Division II national title.
The Sea Lions shot 52.5% overall from the field, shooting above 50% in both halves.
PLNU scored 51 points in the second half to outscore Gannon after halftime, overturning an eight-point halftime deficit to take a two-point lead halfway through the second period before the Golden Knights pulled away late.
Tyce Paulsen and
Jake Lifgren hit back-to-back 3-pointers before
Andrew Hommes sank a pair of free throws to put Point Loma in front.
Paulsen led the team in scoring for the second straight game, this time with 19 points after making five of the team's eight 3-pointers. Paulsen has 12 made triples in two games so far this season, earning him a spot on the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team.
Point Loma outscored Gannon in bench points, 39-20, with
Aiden Rollins (13 points) and
Judson Loe (12 points) both scored in double figures.
Kaden Minter had 11 points, as nine Sea Lions scored six or more points in the game.
After two narrow losses to two of the top three teams in the country, Point Loma (0-2 overall) will next compete this weekend in the PacWest/CCAA Conference Challenge in Costa Mesa, beginning on Friday against Cal State San Bernardino (4 p.m.).
