SAN DIEGO – Point Loma basketball (15-4, 11-2 PacWest) continued to look every bit like one of the PacWest’s most consistent teams Thursday night, rolling past Chaminade (0-15, 0-11 PacWest) 79-50 at the Golden Gymnasium to extend its winning streak to seven games and remain unbeaten at home this season and at the top of their conference.
The Sea Lions leaned on balance and defensive pressure to control the game, placing five players in double figures and forcing Chaminade into 23 fouls and 20 turnovers, several of which came during stretches when the Silverswords struggled to keep key players on the floor due to foul trouble.
That control was established early. After briefly trading baskets in the opening minutes, Point Loma erupted on a 23-8 first quarter run, turning a tight contest into a double digit advantage. The surge was fueled by ball movement and transition opportunities, with the Sea Lions shooting 55.6% from the field in the opening frame while forcing multiple turnovers that led to easy looks. PLNU forced 30 turnovers, which led to a 34-9 advantage over the Silverswords in points off turnovers.
Emma Sales, left, and Maddie Mersch, right, dropped a combined 16 points and seven rebounds against Chaminade Thursday night. Shannon Hardy/PLNU Athletics
While the margin fluctuated in the second quarter, Point Loma never surrendered its grip on the game. Chaminade found itself battling foul trouble across the lineup, including multiple starters reaching three or more fouls before halftime, limiting defensive flexibility and forcing adjustments that opened the lane for the Sea Lions’ interior attack.
“Nobody was going to remember how we felt at halftime, but how we felt after the game,” PLNU’s point guard Izzy Navarro said.
The interior presence became even more pronounced after the break. Point Loma poured in 27 points in the third quarter, its highest-scoring period of the night, stretching the lead past 20 and effectively putting the game out of reach. Eiley Tippins and Ruby Vlahov combined to anchor the scoring during that stretch, repeatedly capitalizing on second-chance opportunities and mismatches inside. The Sea Lions forced the Silverswords to shoot only 9.09% in the final quarter.
“Particuarly, in the third quarter, we just did what we wanted to do and needed to do - and great energy,” PLNU head coach Charity Elliott said.
Tippins finished with a game-high 20 points, while Vlahov added 17 points, knocking down four three pointers. Navarro posted an all around performance with 12 points and nine assists, orchestrating an offense that shot 48.4% for the game.
Even with the outcome largely decided, PLNU maintained its defensive intensity in the fourth quarter, limiting Chaminade to just 13 points and closed the night with a 30-point largest lead. The Sea Lions also controlled the glass and consistently got to the free throw line, another byproduct of Chaminade’s foul issues as the game went on.
“Our focus coming into this game was just our ability to run our stuff, run our offense and get stops on defense,” Tippins said after the game.
Why is the win important?
With the victory, Point Loma improved to a 15-4 overall, continuing a stretch of dominant home performances that have defined the middle of the season. More importantly, the Sea Lions showed once again that their success isn’t tied to one scorer or one quarter but to sustained pressure, depth and the ability to seize control early and never let it go.
Coming up
The Sea Lions remain in the Golden Gymnasium Jan. 31 at 2 p.m to host Fresno Pacific. Watch on the PacWest network or buy tickets here.
