RIVERSIDE, CALIF. – The foreman said to grab a lunch pail and go to work.  And that's exactly what the Cougars did.  The end result was a job well-done and a sterling piece of gold worthy of any enduring champion.
 
The NAIA's No. 3-ranked Azusa Pacific rallied from 15 down in the first half to beat Cal Baptist on the road, 100-86, outscoring the Lancers by 29 points over the final 30 minutes of the game.
 
As a result, Azusa Pacific laid claim on one of the most amazing feats in all of NAIA basketball in the past decade -- winning an unprecedented ninth straight GSAC championship outright.  Winning the GSAC once is no easy feat, winning it 9 times in a row seems to be something straight out of fantasy land.  The GSAC has put at least 1 team in the NAIA Final Four each of the past 3 seasons (2 in 1998) and has had half of its members ranked in the NAIA Top 25 during this season.
 
"This is as great a feeling as the other 8 titles," said Cougar coach Bill Odell.  "I'm really happy for these guys.  They've come together as a team, played together as a team, and succeeded in taking on great challenges from some very good opponents.  Plus, these are quality young men.  It's been a pleasure to coach them."
 
In the early going it appeared Azusa Pacific's party plans would be put on hold.  Cal Baptist led from the opening tip, assuming a 7-2 lead.  The Cougars rallied to within 13-12 before the Lancers turned up the defensive heat, forcing 3 turnovers that keyed a 10-0 run, capped by a Gary Gillman trey to push Lancer cushion to 23-12 less than 8 minutes into the game.   Ninety seconds later, Cal Baptist went on another run of 7-1 to take a surprising 15-point lead at 32-17 with 9:58 left in the first half.
 
The wheels appeared to be falling off and only a quick-release 3-pointer from the top of the key by freshman Brett Michel kept the Cougars in balance.  Righted by Michel's bomb, the Cougars began to fight back.  Junior forward Anthony Haggins came off the bench to score 9 points in the final 6:45 while spurring a first- half-closing 15-4 Cougar run that bought Azusa Pacific back to within 3 at 44-41 at the half.
 
"I told the guys at halftime that they'd have to put on their blue collars and go to work in the second half," said Odell.  "They had to understand that 3-pointers weren't going to win this game and that they'd have work hard on offense.  And that's what they did.  The out-worked Cal Baptist in the second half."
 
Behind the dynamite play of Haggins and junior Steve McIlwain, Azusa Pacific blew the doors off to start the second half, going on a 14-2 run to turn the fortunes of the game into a 57-48 Cougar lead less than 3 minutes into the final half.  From the point Azusa Pacific trailed by 15 in the first half to early in the second half, the Cougars out-scored Cal Baptist, 40-16, in less than 13 minutes of play.
 
Haggins and McIlwain combined for 43 points off the bench, making 11-of-16 shots, including a trio of 3-pointers.  Haggins finished with a season-high 23 points, which included a 9-for-11 clip from the charity stripe.  McIwain tossed in 20 points, including 16 in the second half.  He buried 3 consecutive 3-pointers in less 5 minutes, finishing his run with a 4-point play when Khary Lands knocked him to the ground as he netted a corner 3-ball.  His resulting free throw gave Azusa Pacific an 80-66 lead with 8:47 to play, the same margin the Cougars held when the final buzzer sounded.
 
Though Azusa Pacific cooled off from its near 70% shooting at Concordia Saturday night, the Cougars nonetheless shot a fine 55% (28-for-51) from the floor, including a 6-for-9 clip from the 3-point arc in the second half.
 
Sophomore guard Caleb Gervin poured in 19 points, including 17 in the second half.  Michel finished with 11 points and junior forward John Bourne added 10.  Center Justin Leslie, the lone senior on the team, chipped in with 9 points, 3 of which came off a critical trey after CBU pulled to within 1 at 59-58 at the 14:23 mark.  Leslie also collected a game-high 7 rebounds.
 
While the victory keeps alive an amazing streak of conference titles, what can't be lost in the championship celebration is the fact that Azusa Pacific also clinches an automatic berth into next month's 32-team NAIA Championship Tournament in Tulsa, Okla.  It will be the Cougars' sixth straight NAIA Tourney appearance.  They advanced to the NAIA Final Four in the 1998 and 1999.
 
Azusa Pacific, which now leads all of college basketball with 29 victories, has won 15 in a row, the third longest winning streak in program history.  The Cougars improve to 29-2 overall, 16-1 in the GSAC.  Cal Baptist falls to 22-9 overall, 10-7 in the GSAC.