SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--Point Loma erased its final deficit of the night with a 11-0 run to pull away from Dominican in the Pacific West Conference women's basketball championship on Saturday afternoon at the Conlan Center, 58-51.
The Sea Lions won their first conference tournament just a week after claiming their first-ever PacWest regular season title, and earned the PacWest's automatic berth into next week's NCAA West Region Championships.
The result was anything but clear until that deciding run over the last three and a half minutes of the game.
Dominican, riding the energy of the loud home crowd, actually led the contest for 81 percent of the 40 minutes. The Penguins ran out ot an 8-0 lead to start the game, and kept the Sea Lions off the scoreboard for the first five and a half minutes. Only a pair of baskets in the last minute got Point Loma closer, at 13-7 at the end of the first quarter.
The Penguins led by seven at 6:15 after an Abigail Cooper basket, but Point Loma started to get their offense rolling. They went on a 9-0 run and took their first lead with just over just two minutes in the half (20-18) on a bucket by Jocelyn Pascual. The teams traded baskets until the break, with Dominican taking a 25-24 margin into the halftime locker room.
The Penguins put together the next streak, going on a 7-0 run early in the second half to take a 37-30 lead. But the Sea Lions countered to pull within two at the end of the third, 40-38.
In the fourth, the Penguins held a slight lead throughout, peaking with 3:37 remaining on Kaylyn Buchanon-Lamb's basket to make it 51-47. But that would be the final score of the night for the hosts and Point Loma took advantage. Kaylee Byon started filling the stat sheet with free throws along with one field goal, giving PLNU its first lead at 52-51 with 1:26 left. She was 6-of-7 in the final two-plus minutes, and Alii McDonald sealed the contest with two free throws of her own with seven seconds left for the final tally of 58-51.
Byon finished with 13 points, McDonald had 12 points and 12 rebounds and Hannah Golan had 11. Aliyah San Juan led Dominican with 14 points, Taylor Linzie had 11 points and 12 rebounds and Cooper finished with 12.
Sunday night's selection show will reveal Point Loma's seeding into next week's NCAA tournament, likely to be held at CSU Dominguez Hills. Anxiously watching the show will be Azusa Pacific, ranked No. 7 in this week's ranking.
Point Loma will head to the postseason with a 25-5 record. Dominican's exciting run through the postseason comes to an end at 22-12.
PACIFIC WEST CONFERENCE ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
*Lisa Kiefer, Westmont
*Alaiyah San Juan, Domiinican
*Hannah Golan, Point Loma
*Taylor Linzie, Dominican
*Kaylee Byon, Point Loma
*MVP--Alli McDonald, Point Loma