Clutch fourth quarter run leads to an 83-80 rivalry victory

ANGWIN, Calif. – Trailing 68-61 in Tuesday's Cal Pac Conference game, Cal Maritime scored 15 of the next 16 combined points throughout the following 3:36 to take the lead for good as the Keelhaulers collected their third straight road win at Pacific Union by defeating the Pioneers, 83-80. 

By extending its overall win streak against PUC to three games, the Keelhaulers will return to Covered Wagon for Thursday's neutral-site game against Antelope Valley with a 1-10 overall and 1-6 Cal Pac record.

Pacific Union will continue its season at 0-11 and 0-8, respectively.

"Credit Pacific Union for their part in what was an extremely competitive game," said head coach Imhotet Amen-Ra. 

Regarding Cal Maritime's performance in the penultimate game of a season-long road swing, "I give full credit to every player on this team because they have been battling and working hard this entire season. To see their work come to fruition, especially in a game that saw us score a season-high total, is exciting."

As was the last in each of CSUM's last two visits to Angwin, Alicia Porter led the team in scoring, and finished with 30 points on 12 of 25 shooting from the floor. Marissa Serrano and Alina Daffon each finished with 11 points.

#TFW you beat your rival on its home court ���� #GoKeelhaulers #KeelhaulerPride ⁦@calmaritimewbb⁩ ⁦@Cal_Maritime⁩ ⁦@Cal_Pac⁩ pic.twitter.com/6vWc8vsjYk

— Cal Maritime Keelhaulers (@GoKeelhaulers) January 10, 2024

Porter also led all players with 13 rebounds to secure her second double-double in as many games.

"It's amazing to see AP finish with 30 and 13; even though she did not score from three, she did a great job finding other ways to impact the game."

Added Amen-Ra, "Not only did Alina finish with a double-digit scoring total, her defensive effort set the tone  for the night. Marissa's timely three-pointers helped us space the floor appropriately; this was a total team effort that led to a win."

Even though the final score was close, Cal Maritime dominated almost every facet of Tuesday's rivalry matchup. In addition to out-rebounding PUC 35-31 overall, 25-24 on defensive and 10-7 on the offensive glass, the Keelhaulers outscored their counterpart in the paint by 12 points.

The only element of the game that ended in Pacific Union's favor took place at the free throw line — the key reason why 10 tied scores and 16 lead changes took place throughout the evening.

Pacific Union converted 28 of 36 shots at the stripe compared to CSUM's 12 points scored out of 20 free throw attempts. 

Without those trips to the line, Cal Maritime would have posted a much larger margin of victory since its shot .485 overall (32-for-66) and .292 from three (7-for-24) versus PUC's respective shooting clips of .429 (24-for-56) and .200 (4-for-20).

The game-changing scoring run started with a three from Daffon followed by a PUC free throw, the only point it scored while Cal Maritime played near-perfect basketball throughout the following minutes.

Serrano's layup tied the game at 69; Daffon's and-1, scored on the next possession, gave CSUM the lead for good.

It took a pair of Dylan Fulton layups for Pacific Union to call timeout, in what became a futile effort to squash momentum created throughout Cal Maritime's scoring run.

Porter's layup, followed by a free throw from Kai Kraus, capped an outstanding performance on both ends from the court by the Keelhaulers, which ultimately led to Coach Amen-Ra's first overall and Cal Pac victory.

"It's always a memorable moment earning your first win as a head coach, this result is a great way to start the week. With a quick turnaround, we will find new ways for everyone, coaches and players, to improve and use this win to help this team continue its upward trajectory."

Due to U.S. Coast Guard exams taking place throughout the week, Cal Maritime will return to Angwin on Thursday as the designated home team for its neutral-site matchup against Antelope Valley. Tipoff inside Covered Wagon is set for 5:30 p.m.