Perfect Half Leads To Easy Win

AZUSA, CALIF. -- For the second straight week, Azusa Pacific used a second-half explosion to blow open a tight game and go on to defeat California Lutheran, 40-22, in Azusa Saturday night.

The Cougars jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead only to have CLU come back to take a 16-14 halftime lead.

The Cougars first two touchdowns came as a result of Kingsmen turnovers. DE John Ledieff picked off QB Ryan Huisenga on the Kingsmen's third possession of the game. Two plays later, Marcus Slaton, who entered the game with 45 yards rushing on the season, scampered 32 yards to put the Cougars up 7-0. On Cal Lutheran's next possession, WR Ernie Folie fumbled a completed pass and the Cougars' Rocky Jackson pounced on the loose ball at the Kingsmen 32. To place later, Elijah Raphael, the NAIA's leading scorer, dove in from 2 yards out to give the Cougars a quick 14-0 lead.

California Lutheran rallied with 16 consecutive points, a run that begin with a Zack Hernandez' 1-yard bootleg TD on fourth down. Tim Cronk then connected on three consecutive field goals to give California Lutheran a 16-14 halftime lead.

However, the Cougars responded with 21 consecutive points in the second half to take a commanding 34-16 lead with 10:51 left in the game. The big play was QB Bryan Lucas' 62-yard TD strike to Dexter Davis to put the Cougars back up 20-16 with 4:42 left in the third quarter. Later Raphael added a 61-yard run, the longest run from scrimmage this year, to close out the scoring.

"We played a nervous first half," said Azusa Pacific Coach Vic Shealy, "but we played an error-free second-half with more confidence and got into a rhythm. But we still need to play a good four quarters of football."

With the victory, Azusa Pacific, which is ranked No. 23 in the NAIA, improves to 3-1, while California Lutheran falls to 0–3 on the campaign.

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