PACWEST WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WEEKLY NOTEBOOK
IRVINE, Calif. -- Biola and Academy of Art both moved up in the PacWest standings after both earned two consecutive wins for the first time this season last week.
Biola was led by DeMoria White with 23 points in wins over Point Loma and Concordia. The senior made the game-winning free throws in the win over Concordia to earn recognition as the PacWest Player of the Week.
Pre’Franz Dominick led Academy of Art to two wins, finishing the two games with a total of 37 points, 35 rebounds, seven steals and seven blocks to be named the PacWest Defender of the Week. The senior’s 22 rebounds against Holy Names is tied for 10th most in a single game in PacWest history.
Hawai`i Pacific defeated Point Loma on national television with a 70-48 win on ESPN3. The Sharks have now won eight games in a row. Azusa Pacific also continued its winning streak to six games, winning at California Baptist. Azusa Pacific is now 17-2 on the season.
Notre Dame de Namur moved into a tie for fourth place with an overtime win at home against Dixie State, 92-84. Jerusha Paine got to the free-throw line for 10 attempts in the overtime period and made all 10 to lead the Argonauts to the win.
Fresno Pacific also earned two wins this week to get right back into the conversation for a spot in the PacWest tournament. The Sunbirds defeated Point Loma and Hawai`i Hilo at home to improve to 6-4 in conference play. Cassie Pisik scored 34 points in the two wins, while Bree Alvarez added 32 points.
Dominican’s Alanna Scott made eight shots from beyond the arc this week as the Penguins split their two contests. Scott is now the NCAA Division II leader in 3-point field-goal percentage, making 54.4 percent of her attempts so far this year.
Hawai`i Pacific and Azusa Pacific will meet in a battle for first place on Thursday in Azusa, Calif. First the two teams will play on Monday on the road with Hawai`i Pacific at California Baptist, while Azusa Pacific plays at Fresno Pacific.
The two squads have a combined 14-game winning streak going into the week. This will be the only meeting between the programs this year after the Sharks won both meetings last year. Hawai`i Pacific leads the head-to-head record 5-4. Azusa Pacific’s last win was a 57-55 triumph in 2016 before the Cougars went on to win the PacWest title.
Point Loma and Concordia will renew their rivalry on Thursday in Irvine as both teams look to bounce back from a tough week. Concordia still finds itself in third place in the conference, but only a half game separates the Eagles from Fresno Pacific in seventh place.
On Saturday, Cal Baptist will travel to Concordia, while Notre Dame de Namur plays at Fresno Pacific. Both of those games will play a big role in shaping the playoff picture as we go into the final week of January as those four teams are all within a half game of each other in the standings.
Weekly Awards for the week of Jan. 8-14
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
DeMoria White, Biola
G, Sr., 5-4 -- Inglewood, Calif.
White accounted for more than a third of Biola’s scoring in its two wins against Concordia and Point Loma. The senior scored 23 points in both games to give the Eagles their first pair of consecutive wins in PacWest play. Against Point Loma, White made 4 of 7 shots from 3-point territory and added eight rebounds, two assists and a steal. Against Concordia, White made the game-winning pair of free throws and finished the game shooting 9 for 16 from the field.
DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
Pre’Franz Dominick, Academy of Art
F, Sr., 5-11 -- Deridder, La.
Dominick played a key role in Academy of Art’s two wins this week, doubling the Urban Knights’ wins total for the season. Against Dominican, Dominick tallied 18 points, 13 rebounds, five blocks and five steals. The Urban Knights erased an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter as the senior tallied 10 points, five rebounds and three blocks. In the win over Holy Names, Dominick helped the Urban Knights hold Holy Names to just 50 points with two blocks and two steals. She also had 19 points and 22 rebounds, which is the PacWest-high this season.
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Michaela Vanderklugt, Concordia
F, Fr., 6-11 -- Concord, Calif.
Vanderklugt scored 18 points in Concordia’s loss to Biola on the road. The freshman made 7 of 15 field-goal attempts, including 2 of 7 from beyond the arc. Vanderklugt also added five rebounds and one assist. She scored 15 of her points in the second half, making 6 of 9 field goals in 18 minutes of play. Vanderklugt leads the Eagles in scoring with 13.3 points per game and also averages a team-best 8.2 rebounds per game. This was the 11th time this year that the freshman has scored in double-digits.