LA JOLLA, Calif. – Three PacWest teams entered the NCAA West Regional on Friday in RIMAC Arena and Azusa Pacific is the one advancing the semifinals following a 62-60 victory at the end of a busy day in PacWest women’s basketball.
 
No. 6 seed Hawai`i Pacific got off to a fast start, but was undone by a 26-3 run from Alaska Anchorage, which went on to win 76-69. The Sharks finished the season with a 23-9 record and a PacWest Championships title in the 2018-19 season.
 
In the third quarterfinal of the day, No. 8 seed Dominican challenged the No. 1 seed UC San Diego, but was outplayed by its undefeated opponent in an 81-58 loss. The Penguins finished the 2018-19 season with a 21-7 record after reaching the NCAA West Regional for the first time in program history.
 
In the final game, Azusa Pacific looked to earn its second win against Cal Poly Pomona this season and did just that, taking out the No. 5 seed in the first round. Neither team led by more than eight and there were 12 ties and 10 lead changes before Savanna Hanson sealed the victory with two go-ahead free throws.

Azusa Pacific and Cal Poly Pomona put each other on the schedule every year for a non-conference dual early in the season that typically provides some great excitement to the young season. This time the two teams met in the first round of the NCAA Division II Championships with a lot more on the line than during one of the first weekends of the season.
 
With just over a minute left in the game, No. 4 seed Azusa Pacific had the ball with the score tied at 57. The Cougars grabbed a couple rebounds on missed 3-point attempts on the possession. Finally, on a fourth attempt by the team, Lydia Nieto drained a crucial 3-pointer to take a 60-57 lead in the game.
 
Two plays later, Cal Poly Pomona made a jumper to pull within one point with 20 seconds left. The Broncos had to foul and Savanna Hanson took a hard foul. However, at a crucial time in the game, the referees whistled a technical foul on Azusa Pacific in the heat of the moment, giving Cal Poly Pomona two free throws.
 
Jordyn Shane made the first of two free throws to tie the game before the ball was rolled to the other end of the floor for Savanna Hanson’s two free-throw attempts. She made them both to give Azusa Pacific a 62-60 lead.
 
On the final possession, the Broncos took a contested jumper from just outside the paint that rimmed out and Laura Pranger grabbed the rebound that secured the victory, sending Azusa Pacific to the semifinals.
 
The Cougars improve to 26-5 this season and will advance to play top-seeded UC San Diego, which goes into the encounter with a 29-0 record on the season. It will be the first time this season that the Tritons have played against any of the other top-4 seeds in the tournament. The other semifinal will be between No. 2 Northwest Nazarene and No. 3 Alaska Anchorage.
 
Azusa Pacific was led in scoring by Rachel Bozlee, who made some important shots down the stretch to finish with 19 points. Savanna Hanson added nine points, 12 rebounds, three rebounds and three blocks, while Daylee Hanson contributed seven points and five of the team’s 12 steals.