Point Loma Nazarene Wins in Overtime

Some players want the basketball with the game on the line.

Then there’s Ann Duffy, a junior guard at Point Loma Nazarene College.

“I was hoping someone else would shoot it,” said Duffy, who received the ball with two seconds left on the shot clock and 52 seconds left in overtime.

So is Biola University, because Duffy’s 22-foot, two-handed banker gave host Point Loma Nazarene a 68-61 overtime victory in the first round of the NAIA District III playoffs Monday.

Point Loma (22-10) will play Wednesday at Riverside Cal Baptist.

Duffy’s shot gave Point Loma a 66-61 lead, its biggest of the game, and unraveled Biola (10-16), which had a turnover and a foul thereafter.

Biola, which lost to Point Loma by 21 this season, had played with confidence and precision during the previous 47 minutes. Biola’s half-court trap led to several of 17 turnovers. And offensively, the Crusaders used their height well, feeding 6-foot Lyn Averill (22 points) and 6-foot, 2-inch Donna Pollema (10 points). As a result, Biola didn’t trail until Suzi Jones scored after she missed to open the second half for a 30-28 lead.

But Point Loma, like Biola in the first half, could not pull away. In fact, Biola led by six with 10 minutes left. But Jones hit 8 of her 19 points to rally Point Loma, and teammate Shelly Stokes forced the overtime with a jumper to tie the score, 56-56.