SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- The second-worst shooting performance of the season was ultimately irrelevant for the NAIA's No. 13-ranked Azusa Pacific, as the Cougars were eliminated from the Golden State Athletic Conference postseason tournament with a 75-62 semifinals road loss to No. 7-ranked Point Loma Nazarene Friday night. However, the Cougars have already clinched an at-large bid to the NAIA Tournament in Jackson, Tenn.
All-GSAC guard Monica Somers was held to just 13 points, her lowest total since the Cougars' second game of the season, although All-GSAC forward Abby Johnson posted her ninth double-double, scoring a game-high 18 points and grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds to lead Azusa Pacific, which shot 36 percent (24-for-67) from the field in the game, its lowest percentage since a 59-39 defeat to Seattle Pacific in which the Cougars shot at a 26 percent clip. It was only the third time all year that Azusa Pacific was held to a shooting percentage below 40 percent.
With time winding down in the first half and the Cougars facing a 33-26 deficit, Somers dribbled the length of the court and sank a 3-pointer that cut the Sea Lions' halftime lead to 33-29. Johnson's layup in the opening minute of the second half brought Azusa Pacific to within 2 points, but Point Loma Nazarene reeled off 11 straight points to take its largest lead of the game at 44-31 with 15:25 to play in the game.
A Sarah Leathers trey with just over 11 minutes left sparked an 8-0 run in just over a minute's time, capped by Somers' only free throws of the night, and Azusa Pacific was within 4 points at 50-46 with 9:53 left. After the Sea Lions extended the lead to 54-46, Meliame Hala'ufia put back a blocked Cougar shot to start a 6-point spurt that brought the Cougars to within 2 points at 54-52 with 6:28 to play.
Johnson converted a conventional 3-point play, and Kristy Urbick drilled an open 3-pointer from the corner, each time pulling the Cougars to within 3 points, but Point Loma Nazarene scored on its next 4 possessions and finished the game with a 13-3 run to earn the victory.
Hala'ufia joined Somers and Johnson in double figures with an 11-point, 5-rebound, 2-block performance, and Urbick added 9 points, 5 assists and a pair of steals.
Point Loma Nazarene featured 5 players in double-digits, led by Brittney Dove and Colleen Planeta, who each finished with 16 points. The Sea Lions advance to the GSAC Tournament championship game, where they will visit Vanguard Monday night in Costa Mesa. Because Vanguard was also the regular-season champion, Point Loma Nazarene earns the GSAC's second automatic bid to the NAIA Tournament by advancing to the GSAC Tournament championship game against the regular-season champion Lions. No. 25-ranked Westmont will also receive an at-large bid, and The Master's will likely earn an at-large bid to boost the GSAC contingent to 5 teams in the 32-team national tournament field.
With the loss, Azusa Pacific will enter the NAIA Tournament with a 24-7 overall record, while Point Loma Nazarene improves to 24-6. The tournament bracket for the 27th Annual NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Championship will be released by the NAIA national office on Wed., March 7 by 5 p.m. Central time.
