IRVINE, Calif. – The field is set for the 2019 PacWest Women’s Basketball Championships in San Rafael, California, where six teams will compete for the conference title, starting on Thursday.
 
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Azusa Pacific clinched the No. 1 seed in the tournament on Thursday with its win against Academy of Art. The regular season champions are 20-1 going into tonight’s regular-season finale, where the Cougars could set a PacWest record for PacWest wins in a single season. The Cougars will play on Friday, March 8 at 7:15 p.m. against the winner of No. 4 Point Loma and No. 5 Fresno Pacific.
 
The Sea Lions wrapped up the regular season on a 12-game winning streak to finish with a 17-5 record in conference play. Since falling to Fresno Pacific on December 17, Point Loma has gone undefeated, including a 65-59 win last week against the Sunbirds to split the season series. Point Loma upset No. 1 seed Azusa Pacific in the semifinals last year and finished the tournament runner-up.
 
Fresno Pacific is making its first appearance in the PacWest Championships after narrowly missing a postseason berth last season. The Sunbirds clinched their spot early and have been pacing themselves to try to make a run in the PacWest tournament. Fresno Pacific defeated Holy Names in the regular season finale to finish conference play with a 15-7 record. Fresno Pacific and Point Loma will play at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday.
 
Host Dominican is the No. 2 seed, earning a first-round bye. The Penguins reached the semifinals of the PacWest Championships by defeating last year’s host California Baptist in the first round. Led by the nation’s second-leading scorer Natalie Diaz, Dominican’s first game of the tournament will be on Friday at 5 p.m. in the Conlan Center against either No. 3 Hawai`i Pacific or No. 6 Concordia.
 
Hawai`i Pacific swept Concordia during the regular season in part of a 18-4 record in conference play. The Sharks are the only PacWest team to have beaten Azusa Pacific this season. They enter the tournament as the defending champions having just earned another 20-win season. The Sharks won their regular season finale against Notre Dame de Namur, which was what secured Concordia’s spot in the tournament.
 
Concordia is back in the tournament for the second time in as many years of eligibility. The Eagles started conference play 9-9, which all but locked up a playoff spot before officially clinching on the final day of the regular season. The Eagles will play against Hawai`i Pacific at 5 p.m. on Thursday in the Conlan Center in the first round of the PacWest Championships.