Westmont Upends Cougars

AZUSA, Calif. – Back-to-back 3-pointers by Chris Clark and Adrian Phillips in the final 3 minutes lifted the NAIA's No. 21-ranked Westmont to a 79-72 victory over No. 12 Azusa Pacific in both team's regular-season GSAC finale.

With the victory, Westmont finishes second in the GSAC, a game ahead of the third-place Cougars.  As a result the Warriors will be the No. 2 seed in the GSAC Postseason Tournament, which opens Thursday (Feb. 28).  Azusa Pacific is the third seed.

With the Warriors down 66-65, Clark nailed a trey from the right wing to give Westmont the lead with 3 minutes left in the game.  Eighty seconds later, Phillips drained a trey from the top of the key to give Westmont an insurmountable 70-66 lead with 1:41 to play.

The victory caps not only a Westmont sweep of Azusa Pacific (a first since 1995), but also a Warrior comeback from a 14-point hole.  Azusa Pacific took control of the game early on and built a 26-12 lead as All-GSAC guard Caleb Gervin scored 10 of the Cougars' first 12 points of the game.

On the shoulders of the GSAC's leading scorer Chris Clark, Westmont began an 8-minute comeback in which the Warriors not only overcame a 14-point deficit but rallied to take a 36-33 hafltime lead.  Will Gulley ignited a 14-2 run with a corner 3-bomb and then Clark scored 8 of 12 first-half points in the final 4 minutes to put Westmont back in the game.

The second half was a see-saw affair in which the 2 teams traded the lead 11 times.  Azusa Pacific was up by 5, 60-55, after a Steve McIlwain trey with 7:15 to play.  Yet as it did in the first half, Westmont put the clamps on Azusa Pacific going on a 9-1 run capped by the 3-pointers from Clark and Phillips.

Clark finished with 21 points.  Gulley tallied 19 off the bench, including 12 in the second half.

Azusa Pacific was paced by Gervin's 22 points.  Gary Dredge finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

With the victory, Westmont improves to 19-8 overall, 15-5 in the GSAC.  Azusa Pacific heads into the playoffs with a 22-7 record overall, 14-6 in the GSAC.

Azusa Pacific will host Cal Baptist on Thursday (Feb. 28) in the first round of the GSAC Postseason Tourney.  Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m. in the Felix Event Center.  Westmont will host Vanguard on Thursday, also at 7:30 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#4 Caleb Gervin: G; 6' 1"; Junior

#11 Steve McIlwain: G; 6' 1"; Senior

#53 Gary Dredge: C; 6' 9"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#4 Caleb Gervin
: 6' 1"; Junior
: G

#11 Steve McIlwain
: 6' 1"; Senior
: G

#53 Gary Dredge
: 6' 9"; Senior
: C

Players Mentioned

#4 Caleb Gervin

#11 Steve McIlwain

#53 Gary Dredge

Players Mentioned

#4 Caleb Gervin

#11 Steve McIlwain

#53 Gary Dredge