SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Dominican women's basketball gave it everything they had but ultimately fell 58-51 Saturday to Point Loma in the PacWest Women's Basketball Championship Game at the Conlan Recreation Center.
 
Taylor Linzie was a force once again for the Penguins (22-12) finishing with 11 points and 13 rebounds on her way to being named to the all-tournament team after averaging a double-double. Alaiyah San Juan joined her on the all-tournament team finishing with 14 points and two steals, while Abigail Cooper had 12 points and Kaylyn Buchanon-Lamb finished with six points and six assists. The Sea Lions (25-5) were led by Alli McDonald's double double of 12 points and 12 rebounds.

"It was very fun as a match-up stand point going up against No. 15 (Eiley Tippins), I'm very undersized but I told the team I had their back and to go to work," Linzie said. "The crowd brought it once again so a huge shout-out to them."
 
The crowd was in it and the Penguins were feeling it early as Cooper drove the baseline for the first bucket and Buchanon-Lamb drove the lane and hit a floating jumper to spark an 8-0 run over the first five minutes of the game. After Alli McDonald knocked down a 3-pointer, Cooper answered on the other end and Mikayla Amorso drove into the lane and scooped it off the glass for two more to take the 13-3 lead with 1:55 remaining in the quarter.

"We could feel the intensity from the start until the very end, " San Juan said. "It was almost like play five on 500, I really appreciate everybody coming out and supporting us the last couple of days."
 
The Sea Lions cut the deficit to six after scoring the final four points of the period, but Amoroso knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to open the second. PLNU kept on eating away at the lead with McDonald leading the charge and eventually taking the lead as Jocelyn Pascual hit a 3-pointer in the corner to take a 20-18 lead. Linzie drove into the lane and got her defender in the air with a shot fake before ducking under for a layup to tie the game. San Juan then took over down the stretch hitting a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to take the 23-22 lead. After Hannah Golan swung the lead back to the Sea Lions on a put back, San Juan drove down the lane and pulled up for two to take the 25-24 lead into the break.
 
Linzie converted an old-fashioned 3-point play and followed up with another layup sparking a run for the Penguins. Cooper ended the 10-0 run with a 3-pointer from the left corner to take the 37-30 lead. After Golan cut the PLNU deficit to three with a turn around jumper, Amoroso hit a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to push the lead to 40-34 with 1:47 left in the quarter. The Sea Lions were aggressive in the final minute earning a couple of trips to the charity stripe to cut the Dominican lead to two heading into the final period.
 
McDonald converted a 3-point play to open the fourth quarter and boost PLNU back into the lead. Two minutes later San Juan stepped back and nailed a 3-pointer to swing the lead back to the Penguins and Linzie added another from the top of the key to make it 47-42 with 6:20 left on the clock. Dominican clung to its advantage as Buchanon-Lamb cut into the paint for a layup to make it 51-47 with 3:37 on the clock. Golan hit a pull-up jumper in the lane to cut the deficit to one on a friendly roll before Byon added a pull up to take the lead heading to the final minute. The Penguins were unable to answer and the Sea Lions sealed it from the free-throw line.