AZUSA, Calif. -- Rarely has Azusa Pacific ever found it so enjoyable to play in Fresno. Usually a city of heartbreaks and torture for the Cougars, tonight it was a city of giving as the NAIA's
No. 22-ranked Azusa Pacific parlayed 28 Fresno Pacific turnovers into 39 points and an eventual 73-61 GSAC victory.
 
All-American guard Jacqueline Godoy, back from a bought with the flu that forced her to missed Saturday's game against Hope International, made her first 5 shots of the game and paced the Cougars with a team-high 16 points to go along with 5 assists and 5 steals.
 
The Cougars never were really challenged in this contest, leading at one point by as much as
27 points (68-41) with 6 minutes left in the second half before settling for its third consecutive win in Fresno, a first in series history.
 
Freshman center Paige Bateman, who continues to emerge as one of the top Cougars off the bench, finished with a career-high 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in just 20 minutes of play. Over the past 4 games, the 6-foot-2 Bateman has tallied 40 points on 18-of-27 (.667) shooting from the floor.
 
Stephanie Patten added 14 points and 9 rebounds while Catherine Solorio chipped in with 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting.
 
The Cougars led 37-28 at the half thanks to 50% shooting (17-for-34) in the opening frame. While inducing a hefty amount of Sunbird ball-handling miscues, the Cougars nailed down the victory by owning the glass with a 47-26 rebound margin.
 
Azusa Pacific has now won 6 straight and continues its best GSAC start in program history. The Cougars improve to 10-5 overall and 6-0 in the GSAC, maintaining a 1-game advantage over second-place Westmont, which knocked off Vanguard tonight.
 
Fresno Pacific falls to 12-7 overall, 3-3 in the GSAC.