AZUSA, Calif.. – All-American Candice Allen scored 7 of her game-high 26 points in succession over a 2-minute stretch late in the game to lift Cal Poly Pomona to a 97-89 victory over Azusa Pacific in a nonconference women’s basketball game at the Felix Event Center.

The Broncos led the final 32 minutes of the game and were up by as much as 11 points on a number of occasions. However, the Cougars rallied to within 4 points 4 different times over the final 8 minutes of play, and as late as 5:09 remaining following a Danielle Smith lay-up that cut the Bronco lead to 81-77. That’s when Allen went to work, nailing 3-of-4 jumpers over the next 2 minutes, capped by a conventional 3-point play that gave Cal Poly an insurmountable 91-82 lead with just under 3 minutes left in the game.

Led by Monica Somers’ 21 points and Lindsay Rice’s 19 off the bench, Azusa Pacific never allowed Cal Poly to venture too far off. The Cougars managed Cal Poly’s full-game press and took advantage of a foul-plagued Bronco team by converting a hefty 34 free throw attempts, just 1 shy of the school record. Yet, the Cougars struggled with Cal Poly’s quickness under the glass and with its perimeter shooting. The Broncos out-rebounded Azusa Pacific 39-33, which included a whopping 20 offensive grabs that the Broncos translated into an additional 19 points.

Cal Poly drained 9-of-12 shots from the 3-point arc and none was bigger than Shanika Perkins’ trey following Azusa Pacific’s last gasp to cut the Cal Poly cushion to 4 points.

Azusa Pacific stayed with Cal Poly through the first 10 minutes of the game until Allen spurred a 12-2 Bronco run by scoring 7 of her 9 first-half points that gave Cal Poly a 34-22 lead. The Broncos kept Azusa Pacific at bay the rest of the half, holding a 49-38 lead at the break.

Kelsey Hudson and Lindsey West each added 14 points for Azusa Pacific. The 186 combined points by the 2 teams are the most in an Azusa Pacific game since these same 2 programs went together on 192 points in a 99-93 Cal Poly win in 2001.

Azusa Pacific suffers its first loss of the season and falls to 2-1, while Cal Poly Pomona opens its season at 1-0.