Point Loma and Academy of Art both won a pair of games in PacWest play last week, thanks in part to Kaden Anderson (PLNU) and Mike Asante (ART U). The Sea Lions are the Team of the Week, mostly because of their road win over previously PacWest unbeaten Hawai`i Hilo. Anderson scored 56 points in two games to gain Player of the Week honors and Asante pulled down 28 rebounds and had five blocked shots to claim Defender of the Week.

2022-23 Results/Schedule
2022-23 Standings
2022-23 Statistics
D2SIDA West Region and National Polls

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Point Loma’s Kaden Anderson, F, Gr., 6-8, 220, Enumclaw, Wash.                            
Kaden Anderson heads into his last semester of college basketball with yet another PacWest Player of the Week award. This is his ninth of his career, and he has 12 weekly awards total (including three Defender honors). Both of those totals rank second all-time in PacWest history. This week, Anderson had 26 points, ten rebounds, two assists and two blocks in PLNU’s big victory over Hawai`i Hilo (83-73). In a non-conference win over San Diego Christian on Thursday, the PacWest Preseason Player of the Year had 30 points, seven rebounds and three steals. His 56 points for the week moved his average up to 22.5, tops in the PacWest. Anderson is second in the conference in free throw percentage (87%) and third in field goal accuracy (51%) and rebounds (8.3).
 
DEFENDER OF THE WEEK: Academy of Art’s Mike Asante, F, Sr., 6-7, 230, Toronto, Ontario                            
Mike Asante played a key role on both ends of the court for Academy of Art in wins over Holy Names (97-82) and Fresno Pacific (54-52). Against the Sunbirds, Asante posted a line of 14 points, 13 rebounds, four blocked shots and a pair of steals—and hit the game winner at the buzzer in the road victory. Against Holy Names, the 2022 PacWest Tournament MVP had eight rebounds, 15 points and another block and steal to total 21 rebounds, five blocked shots, three steals and 29 points in the two PacWest games. On Tuesday night, against Division I St. Mary’s, the former Howard player had 13 points and seven boards.

POINT LOMA WINS BIG ISLAND SHOWDOWN: The PacWest Team of the Week is the POINT LOMA SEA LIONS. Something had to give when Point Loma (6-0) took on Hawai`i Hilo (4-0) on Tuesday in Hilo. The game was evenly played through the first 30 minutes, tied at 58-58 with 9:42 left. But the Sea Lions outscored their hosts 25-15 from there, hitting their free throws down the stretch and holding the Vulcans to 0-for-8 accuracy after halftime from beyond the arch for the 83-73 win. Point Loma, ranked No. 21 national and No. 2 in the west region, improved to 7-0 in PacWest play and 12-3 overall. The Sea Lions also topped San Diego Christian earlier in the week, 80-54.

FIVE TEAMS SPORT WINNING PACWEST RECORDS: Point Loma is all alone in the top spot of the PacWest standings, but they have company close by. The Sea Lions are 7-0, but Azusa Pacific is next at 5-1, followed by Hawai`i Hilo at 4-1. Dominican is 2.5 games back of Point Loma at 5-3, with Academy of Art (4-3) and Biola (3-3) rounding out the top six. Still not even half way home with each team ultimately playing 20 PacWest games, the final goal is to be in the top six and qualify for the PacWest Tournament, March 2-4 in Honolulu.

PACWEST HAS THREE OF TOP FIVE: In yesterday’s D2SIDA west region poll, the PacWest has four of the ten teams listed, including three of the top five. Point Loma highlights the list, holding the No. 2 slot and also gaining one slot in the national Top 25 at No. 21. Here is the west region list on 1/3/23. (1) Cal State San Bernardino 8-1, (2) Point Loma 11-3, (3) Saint Martin’s 12-2, (4) Azusa Pacific 10-3, (5) Hawai`i Hilo 8-1, (6) Montana State Billings 10-4, (7) Western Washington 9-4, (8) Cal Poly Pomona 6-3, (9) Academy of Art 8-4, (10) Cal State San Marcos 6-5. Biola is among those receiving votes.

PACWEST NEWS AND NOTES: Hawai`i Pacific won a non-conference game over Champion Christian (83-63) with Marquis Moore scoring 21 points and pulling down 14 rebounds…Edward Gray had 31 points for Holy Names in their loss to Academy of Art. The Urban Knight’s Klay Brown had 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists in that same game, with Latrell Williams posting a double-double of 20-12…Fresno Pacific’s Mike Mensah hit seven treys for 21 points in his team’s 80-63 win over Dominican. Marcus McCutchen had 20 for the Penguins. Most impressive, FPU had a 33-0 run in the contest, flipping a 10-point deficit into a 23-point lead…McCutchen also had 24 points and eight rebounds in DUC’s victory over Holy Names (69-65), giving him 46 points for the week…Hawai`i Hilo had seven players in double figures during a 103-91 shootout win over Chaminade. Darren Williams had 21 points and seven assists, Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones 17 points, eighth assists and five rebounds and Nadjrick Peat had 12 points and four blocked shots. Isaac Amaral-Artharee had 27 to lead the Silverswords…Armaral-Artharee had 16 points and eight rebounds in CUH’s 117-61 victory over Champion Christian…Biola had just one game last week, topping La Sierra (81-46)…Concordia’s Lance Coleman II had 29 points in the Golden Eagles’ lone game, a 76-67 win over Hawai`i Pacific. Melo Sanchez had a double-double with 16-12 for the Sharks…In that PacWest showdown on the Big Island, Carlos Ramsey, Jr. had 25 points for the Vulcans, and Tait-Jones had 17 points and nine boards in the loss to Point Loma.

PACWEST PLAY RESUMES HOT AND HEAVY: A busy schedule resumes in the PacWest, beginning with four games on Thursday. Point Loma and Concordia will continue their tour of the islands, while Azusa Pacific and Biola will take turns hosting Fresno Pacific and Holy Names. ART U starts their Hawaiian Island swing on Sunday at Hawai`i Pacific, and Dominican does the same at Hawaii Hilo on Monday.