EL CAJON, Calif. - Arizona Christian University (3-1) returned to game action 17 days after its last game, and made 20 three-point field goals in 46 tries (.435) in a 101-91 collegiate women's basketball victory over La Sierra University (1-8), Friday, November 30 at the San Diego Christian College Lady Hawks Classic in the Ryan Athletics Center in El Cajon, California. ACU led by 11 points twice in the first half, but just 47-45 at halftime, and then outscored the Eagles, 15-6, over the last three minutes of the game and pulled away for the win. 

Arizona Christian, guided by second-year head coach Jerry Conner, meets California State University-Maritime from Vallejo, Saturday, December 1, at 6:30 p.m. Arizona time, at the San Diego Christian College Lady Hawks Classic, and finally hosts its first two home contests of the season at the Arizona Christian University Classic, December 7-8, playing Johnson and Wales University (Colo.), next Friday at 7 p.m. Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) plays California State University-San Marcos in Friday's first game, at 5 p.m. 

Six Firestorm players scored 10 or more points, including three players with 16 points. Senior guards Paula Clendaniel (Tucson, Ariz./Cienega H.S./York College, Neb.) and Jessica Largo (Gallup, N.M./Rehoboth Christian School) contributed 16 points and 4 three-pointers each, and sophomore forward Sarah Beth Hock (Gilbert, Ariz./Perry H.S.), ACU's leading scorer and rebounder, finished with 16 points, 14 in the second half, nine rebounds and three assists. Largo also grabbed three rebounds, passed three assists and stole the ball from La Sierra twice, and Clendaniel had two rebounds and five assists. Freshman guard Gabby Evans (Phoenix, Ariz./Arcadia H.S.) finished with 14 points, four three-pointers in five attempts, one assist and one steal, and sophomore forward Stephanie Brimhall (Gilbert, Ariz./Perry H.S.) with 11 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Junior guard Tenisha Royston (Shiprock, N.M./Shiprock H.S./Scottsdale CC) contributed 10 points, six rebounds, a school record 13 assists and two steals. Freshman point guard Kiara White (Phoenix, Ariz./Washington H.S.), 

sophomore forward Jamie Heath (Phoenix, Ariz./Thunderbird H.S.), and junior guard Jubilee Sutherland (Glennallen, Alaska/Glennallen H.S./Eastern Wyoming College) each scored six points with 2 three-pointers. 

Four La Sierra players scored 12 or more points, led by junior guard Natalia Hawthorne with 32 points, 19 in the second half, who also had 2 three-pointers, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals, and junior guard Victoria Lowe scored 19 points, 11 in the second half, and gathered 12 rebounds, passed two assists and blocked a shot. Guard Brittani Walker added 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals, and forward Kristen Brummett finished with 12 points and five rebounds. 

ACU made a respectable 37 of 83 shots (.446), sterling 20 of 46 three-pointers (.435) and 7 of 18 free throws (.389) and finished with 18 turnovers and 13 steals. La Sierra connected on 36 of its 71 shots (.507), just 4 of 14 three-pointers (.286) and 15 of 28 free throws (.536), out-rebounded ACU, 50-42, and committed 26 turnovers, 15 in the second half, and stole the ball seven times. 

An 11-2 run, including three-point field goals by Evans and Largo gave ACU a 39-28 advantage with 6:49 left in the first half. Largo scored nine points, and Evans scored eight for ACU, and Hawthorne tallied 13 and dished six assists for La Sierra in the first 20 minutes. 

However, ACU did not score in the final 3:05 of the half while La Sierra scored seven points and cut the lead to 47-45 with 51 seconds left before intermission. ACU made 10 three-point field goals and committed 10 turnovers in the half, while La Sierra made three from downtown and committed 11 turnovers. 

La Sierra tied the score at 51 at the 17:06 mark of the second half, but ACU reeled off seven consecutive points and led 58-51 with 16:16 left on Largo's third three-pointer of the game, and later expanded its lead to nine points, 65-56, with 13:50 to go on Hock's third basket in a span of less than four minutes. La Sierra bit into that lead as well, scoring six consecutive points and trailed 65-62, but Evans' third three-pointer of the game and White's second three-pointer lifted ACU to a 71-62 lead with 10:54 remaining. 

A pair of three-pointers in a span of 1:38 by Sutherland put ACU ahead by seven points, 82-75, with 5:19 left, but La Sierra gained momentum with three lay-ups and two free throws and tied the game at 83 on a basket by Lowe with 4:20 remaining in regulation time.