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WESTMINSTER – Pacifica had turned things around in a hurry come the second half Friday night, driving for two touchdowns to erase a 10-point deficit and on the verge, it seemed, of a third score that likely would knock Westminster out.

Then Steven Vu scooped up a fumble on the Lions’ 6 and rambled deep into Pacifica territory. Westminster was back ahead three plays later, on Matt Dinh’s pass to Zach Costales, and held on for a 17-14 triumph over the visiting Mariners in their final outings before league play.

Westminster’s defense, which stopped the Mariners on their first two drives and then struggled to contain them, gave up nothing after Costales’ 8-yard touchdown reception with 6:21 to play.

“We got a big – I don’t know if it was a lucky play or a good play,” Westminster coach Ted McMillan said. “I just know the ball came out, and we were running the other way with it. We’ll take it.”

Vu capped an often dominant performance with his 71-yard run, to the Pacifica 23, after Trent Hunter fumbled on first-and-goal from the Lions’ 4 with the Mariners (1-4) looking to add to a 14-10 advantage.

It’s the third three-point loss this season for Pacifica, which limited Westminster to 49 second-half yards, just 14 in the third quarter, while taking command of the game.

The Lions (3-2) used good field position to open a first-half lead, driving just 35 yards, the final 4 by Humberto Maciel, for a 7-0 lead a little more than 7 minutes into the game. Then the Lions added a 33-yard Maciel field goal six plays after Pacifica lost yardage, to midfield, on a fake punt try early in the second quarter.

The Mariners were in charge from that point, consistently making first downs but generally not sustaining their drives.

Then they went 50 yards on 10 plays to start the second half with a TD and 49 yards on 11 plays on their next drive to score again, both on Nick Garcia passes to Aaron Jacobs, the first for 3 yards and the second for 6.

Pacifica then went from its 43 to Westminster’s 4 on its first fourth-quarter possession, but its third turnover of the night was a killer, and the Mariners had no response.