Point Loma junior Daulton Hommes (No. 34) and his teammates walk off the court following a 64-58 loss to Northwest Missouri St. in the NCAA Division 2 Championship game. PHOTO: David Arthur via PLNU Athletics
Season Ends for PLNU's Hommes & Somers with Title Game Loss
March 30, 2019
The historic run for the Point Loma Nazarene basketball team came up just a game short Saturday in Evansville, Indiana. Despite a game-high 26 points from Lynden's own Daulton Hommes, the Sea Lions fell to Northwest Missouri State 64-58 in the NCAA Division 2 Men's National Championship game.
Led by the 24 points of senior Joey Witthus, NW Missouri State led for most of the game and survived a late push by the Sea Lions to win their second national title in 3 years. The Bearcats finished the season with a 38-and-0 record to became the first undefeated champion in division 2 since Findlay did it in 2009.
Hommes, who transferred to Point Loma for his junior season after starring for Western Washington University the last two years , went 7-of-16 from the floor with two-3-balls. The former Lynden Christian High School standout also went a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line and added 4 rebounds.
Hommes, who was named the NCAA D2 National Player of the Year on Thursday, was asked what he will remember most about this run for the Sea Lions in a season that saw him win so many accolades.
"Definitely the team," said Hommes. "I could care less about the awards. I wanted to win that game more than anything, but yeah, just the most memorable is going to be the team."
Part of that team is his childhood friend Sterling Somers out of Lynden High School. Somers, the 6th man for the Sea Lions who won All-PacWest Honorable Mention honors, registered 1 rebound and 1 assist in 21 minutes played in the defensive minded affair.
Northwest Missouri State lead by 4 at halftime on a Ryan Hawkins buzzer-beating 3-ball. Point Loma took a narrow 1-point lead early in the second half, but the Bearcats would bounce back to eventually take their largest lead of 10 points. The Sea Lions got to with 5 points with 1:35 remaining, but could get no closer.
Point Loma (31-5) finishes the year with their most successful run in team history. They tied their best ever mark for wins and made it to the first NCAA D2 national championship game in any sport for the university. It was the first appearance by a West Region team in the title game since WWU won it all in 2012.
- Doug Lange
*information from www.ncaa.com & www.plnusealions.com used in this story.
Point Loma junior Daulton Homes dunks on NW Missouri State in the NCAA Division 2 National Championship game. PHOTO: David Arthur via PLNU Athletics
Point Loma junior Sterling Somers battles defensively against Joey Witthus of Northwest Missouri State. PHOTO: David Arthur via PLNU Athletics
Point Loma fans cheer on the team in the NCAA D2 National Championship game in Evansville, Indiana. PHOTO: David Arthur via PLNU Athletics
