AZUSA, CALIF. -- The NAIA's No. 6-ranked Azusa Pacific used a 13-0 run in the final 5 minutes of play to blow open a tight game and post a 98-85 Golden State Athletic Conference victory over Southern California College, Friday night in Azusa.

Junior guard Jason Boswell (Turlock, Calif./Turlock HS) and senior forward Jeremy DeVries (Mt. Vernon, Wash./Mt. Vernon HS) combined for 44 points to lead the Cougars, who are now 79-7 in Azusa since 1992. DeVries scored 4 of his 21 points during that final run. Boswell finished with a team-high 23 on 10-of-15 shootings, including a 3-for-5 clip from the 3-point arc.

"We caught a little fire, and they had their backs to the wall," said Cougar coach Bill Odell. "We let them get back into it, but overall, the defensive intensity was there tonight."

Spurred by Boswell's 15 first-half points, including 13 in the first 5-and-a-half minutes, Azusa Pacific assumed a 51-45 half-time lead. The Cougars played a near-flawless first half, shooting 50% (17-for-34) from the floor and committing just 2 turnovers while forcing the Vanguards into 13 first-half miscues. Had it not been for SCC's 24-13 advantage in rebounding, the Vanguards may have found themselves in an ever-deeper hole at intermission.

"There are times when Jeremy is hot and there are times when I am hot," said Boswell, "but when we are both hot at the same time, our offense just takes off."

Senior guard T.J. Walker (Modesto, Calif./Modesto HS) added 18 points, 11 assists, a team-high 7 rebounds and a game-high 6 steals for Azusa Pacific.

"T.J. did a good job of stopping the penetration of their point guard (Adam Dzierzynski)," added Odell, "and he forced 2 turnovers at crucial times."

With the Cougars up 85-79 and 5:46 to play, Walker stripped Dzierzynski to ignite the game-clinching run. Later Walker stripped Rod Scheuerman with 2:47 to play to keep SCC down by 10 at the time.

SCC was paced by Terence Wilborn's game-high 25 points to go along with 8 rebounds. Freshman Dennis Keane added 20 points and a game-high 9 rebounds.

Azusa Pacific led nearly the entire game. The Vanguards managed a pair of first-half 1-point leads. Keane's jumper with 3:52 left in the first half gave SCC a 37-36 lead, its last of the game.

Azusa Pacific is now 22-4 overall and 7-1 in the GSAC, a half-game ahead of idle Biola and Westmont. With the loss, SCC falls to 15-11 overall and 4-4 in the GSAC, 3 games out of first with No. 8-ranked Biola looming ahead on Tuesday.