RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Needing a win to keep its season alive, No. 5 Point Loma upset top-seeded Azusa Pacific, 76-68, in the 2018 PacWest Women’s Basketball semifinals with the help of a breakout performance by freshman Cara Liggins.

BOX SCORE        PHOTO GALLERY            POINT LOMA INTERVIEW        AZUSA PACIFIC INTERVIEW
 
The freshman recorded just her second career double-double, tallying 17 points and 10 rebounds to go with six assists and three steals for a shocking win over the top-ranked team in the West Region. Point Loma’s fourth-consecutive win boosts the team’s record to 19-10, while Azusa Pacific dropped just its fourth game of the year to fall to 27-4.
 
The Sea Lions used a 13-1 run late in the third quarter to take control of the game, never letting the Cougars get any closer than within four points for the rest of the game. It was freshman that started the run with Sydney Peterson knocking down two free throws and then a 3-pointer before Liggins made a trey of her own.
 
When Azusa Pacific did pull back within four points with two minutes left in the game, PacWest Co-Player of the Year Roya Rustamzada made a lay-up. On the next possession, Liggins beat her defender around the edge and put in a left-handed lay-up to put the game back out of reach.
 
Liggins and Peterson weren’t the only freshman powering the Sea Lions to their first win over Azusa Pacific in three tries this year. Grace Brady added 13 points, making 6 of 7 field-goal attempts to go along with three assists and two blocks. Peterson finished with a team-high 18 points, making 3 of 6 shots from beyond the arc.
 
In the final, No. 2 Hawai`i Pacific awaits Point Loma in a battle for the PacWest title and an automatic bid into the NCAA West Regional. The Sharks won the only battle between the two teams during the regular season, when they met for a game televised on ESPN 3.