IRVINE, Calif. – Taking on their arch-rivals from Point Loma, the Concordia University Irvine Eagles were ready for a dogfight with the current PacWest Conference leaders. Four starters scored in double figures for CUI, but No. 21 Point Loma escaped CU Arena with a 73-69 victory.

Jalen Sanders scored 17 points while Andre Green knocked down four treys and finished with 16. Rob McCoy chipped in with 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks while Jamel White added 10 points and four assists. Kayle Knuckles led CUI with 11 boards.

CUI was up a bucket at halftime but Point Loma took the lead for good early in the second half. The Sea Lions opened up a nine-point advantage midway through the second period but could never fully pull away. There was no quit in the Eagles and they kept the deficit within striking distance but they could not get over the hump down the stretch. Sanders was hurt just a couple minutes after halftime and the Eagles had to scramble to adjust their strategy without him in the game the rest of the way.

"It was a tough game and we battled until the end," said McCoy. "Each time we've played them we were down a man that we needed. They are really well-coached and they know how to play together offensively and how to slow us down on defense. We have the talent to stay in the game with them and I hope we get to play them again."

The two teams have met each of the past two years in the PacWest Conference Tournament. Currently the Sea Lions and Azusa Pacific Cougars are on pace to earn first-round byes in the 2020 tourney.,which APU will host this March.

"Our crowd was great and it was too bad we didn't play well enough to win," said CUI head coach Ken Ammann. "The start of the second half really hurt us when we gave up three easy baskets and missed a couple easy ones also. We need to move the ball better and score against simple zone defenses or we will continue to struggle. Until we prove we can do that, I would guard us the same exact way."

The Eagles will head up north to the Bay Area for a pair of road contests next week before returning home to face Hawai'i Pacific on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

For the full CUI men's basketball schedule, click here.