AZUSA, CALIF.– It couldn't get much hotter in the Cougardome Friday night, as the NAIA's No. 7-ranked Azusa Pacific increased its winning streak to 7 games with a 92-77 win over Christian Heritage.
"I feel that we are coming together," said Cougar head coach Bill Odell. "We are starting to mature at the right time."
Kevin Daley continued his recent hot streak with a game-high 34 points, 16 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. In the second half, Daley caught fire, notching 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Over the past 6 games, Daley is averaging 27.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.6 steals a game while posting 3 double-doubles.
"It wasn't easy, but we knew if we played better in the second half we would be able to overcome our poor first half," said Daley. "With all these close games, we know we have to pull them out, especially at home."
Christian Heritage held a 55-54 lead with 12:34 remaining in the game, but Jeff Staniland scored 7 straight points in the next 58 seconds, giving the Cougars a 61-55 lead and forcing the Hawks to call a timeout to stop the bleeding. Staniland's outburst sparked a 15-1 Cougar run that gave Azusa Pacific a 69-56 lead with 9:15 left to play.
"It was back and forth until that point, and that was a big shot - not just for me, but for our team," said Staniland of his 3-pointer that capped his 7-point outburst. "They came back at the end, but that got our team going and we knew we had to pick it up on defense."
Christian Heritage guard Brad Nicholson finished the game with a team-high 32 points, but the Cougars held Nicholson without a field goal over the final 7:58. Damian Raibon posted his first career double-double, scoring 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Christian Heritage closed to within a point at 75-74 with 4:50 remaining in the game, but the Cougars went on a 17-3 run to finish the game. Isamu Nichols extended his free throw streak to 25 straight, scoring 11 points and dishing out 5 assists.
Neither team was able to consistently find the bottom of the net in the first half, as both teams shot 35% for the half. Nicholson scored 19 in the opening half, but never left the game until late in the second half, and managed only 3 points in the final 6:25 of the half.
The Cougars remain unbeaten at home this season through 11 contests in the Cougardome. With the win, Azusa Pacific improves to 18-3 overall, 8-1 in the GSAC, while Christian Heritage drops to 5-4 in GSAC play, 11-11 overall.
