EL CAJON, Calif. - San Diego Christian College (15-12, 7-4 GSAC) moved into a third-place tie with The Master's College in the Golden State Athletics Conference standings with a 93-38 victory over Arizona Christian University (4-19, 0-11 GSAC), Tuesday, February 12, in the Ryan Athletics Center on the SDC campus in El Cajon, California.
Coached by Jerry Conner, ACU plays a 5:30 p.m. GSAC road game Saturday, Feb. 16 at number six-ranked Westmont College (21-3, 11-0 GSAC), the GSAC's first-place team in Santa Barbara, Calif. The ACU men's basketball team plays the 7:30 game of Saturday's GSAC doubleheader at Westmont.
In Tuesday's other GSAC women's basketball action, Westmont defeated 11th-ranked Master's College (22-4, 7-4 GSAC), which is tied for third with San Diego Christian in the GSAC race, by a 77-66 score in Santa Barbara, and number seven-ranked Vanguard University (18-2, 9-2 GSAC), the GSAC's second-place team, won 86-55 at home over Concordia University (5-19, 3- 8 GSAC). Fifth-place Hope International University (12-14, 4-7 GSAC) defeated sixth-place Biola University (12-14, 3-8 GSAC), 55-50, at Biola.
San Diego Christian led 48-18 at halftime after making 20 of 35 field goals (.571) and 7 of 13 from three-point range (.538) and committing just five turnovers. The Hawks stole the ball from ACU 11 times. ACU made 8 of its 24 first-half shots (.333) and 2 of 9 from beyond the three- point arc (.333), and committed 14 first-half turnovers which SDC turned into 15 gift points.
Junior guard Jubilee Sutherland (Glennallen, Alaska/Glennallen H.S./Eastern Wyoming CC) led ACU with seven points and one three-pointer in the first half, and sophomore forward Sarah Beth Hock (Gilbert, Ariz./Perry H.S.), ACU's leading scorer and rebounder (12.7 ppg and 7.7 rpg) added four points, six rebounds and one steal in the first 20 minutes. Starting guards
Chardonnay Shula and Hannah Miller scored nine points each in the first half for SDC, and Shula also made 2 three-pointers and passed six assists.
San Diego Christian scored 24 consecutive points in a span of just over eight minutes and led 72- 21 and reached its widest advantage, 55 points, twice in the last 1:30 of the contest.
Five Hawks scored 10 or more points, led by Miller with 15 points, 3 three-pointers and four steals, and Shula with 13 points, 2 three-pointers, three rebounds, nine assists, three blocked shots and two steals. Reserve guard Alexa Davision hit 5 of her 8 shots and finished with 11 points, three rebounds and one steal, and starting forward Ashley Mason added 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals. Reserve guard Andi Carbonnel contributed 10 points, 2 three-pointers and four steals.
Sutherland finished with 10 points, 2 three-pointers and 2 steals for ACU, and Hock totaled eight points, nine rebounds, and one steal. Sophomore forward Jamie Heath (Phoenix, Ariz./Thunderbird H.S.) added six points, 2 three-pointers, two assists and five rebounds, and senior guard Jessica Largo (Gallup, N.M./Rehoboth Christian School) finished with seven points and one three-pointer. H.S.) came off the ACU bench and scored 10 points, making all eight of her free throws. Sophomore forward Stephanie Brimhall (Gilbert, Ariz./Perry H.S.) contributed five points, seven rebounds and three assists.
The Firestorm made 14 of 46 shots (.304) in the game and hit 5 of 17 three-point field goal attempts (.294) and 5 of 9 free throws (.556), committed 31 turnovers, which San Diego Christian turned into 36 points, and stole the ball from the Hawks four times. San Diego Christian made 38 of its 79 shots in the game (.481), 10 of 23 three-pointers (.435) and 7 of 11 free throws (.636), out-rebounded ACU by a 46-31 margin, passed 20 assists, blocked 10 ACU shots and stole the ball from the Firestorm 22 times.