"In a game like this, you just try to work on certain things," said Cougar coach Bill Odell. "From a coach's standpoint, you look at it more as a practice session then a fire-em-up kind of game."

The Cougars started out slow and ended slow, but in between they played excellent basketball. Holding a 14-9 lead with 11:33 in the first half, the Cougars went on a 33-6 run over a 7-minute span to blow the game wide open. At the break, the Cougars held a 60-23 lead.

Jerome Joseph scored 13 points, including 3-of-3 from the 3-point arc, and Kevin Daley had 10 at the intermission.

"Coach told us to take one game at a time, and not to look ahead," said Joseph. "Now we can focus on our big game against Biola on Saturday."

In the second half, the Cougars ran out to a 47-point lead (94-47), before scoring only 7 points over the final 8:07.

Five Cougars were in double figures, led by Joseph's 18 points. Daley added 12 points, including a one-handed putback of a missed free throw that brought the crowd to a frenzy.

"I didn't go up with intentions of dunking it," said Daley, who also had 2 reverse dunks. "I always try to jump as high as I can and this time it was there."

Damian Raibon added 12, Jason Boswell scored 11 and Corey Smith added 10 points off the bench. Joseph added a team-high 7 rebounds and T.J. Walker had 7 assists.

The Cougars, 23-4, will take on No. 10 Biola on Saturday in a crucial GSAC game at 7:30 p.m. in the Cougardome.