Back-to-back 3-point baskets by Nate Daniels in the final 2:30 of play snapped a 65-65 deadlock and propelled MSU to its 13th win in 14 tries this season. However, the overall contest turned the sport back to the peach basket era.

The 2 teams, who a year ago finished No. 1 and 2 in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll, had a difficult time tonight reflecting their former selves. They combined for 90 missed shots, including 44 from the 3-point arc, and misfired on 16-of-36 free throws. Shooting like that explains the manifestation of 106 rebounds.

"It's one of those things where success breeds success and failure breeds failure," said Azusa Pacific coach Bill Odell. "I've never experienced anything like this. We ran our stuff and executed and got open looks. It's just a confidence thing right now. We are a good shooting team and will be, but we shot ourselves in the rear end with the 31% tonight."

Neither team could find a rhythm to its play. Mountain State led by 10 early on and enjoyed a couple of runs later in the game that gave MSU 7-point cushions. Led by reserves Colton Cornfoot and Nate Pratt, Azusa Pacific battled to stay within range. Pratt, the only Cougar to make over half his shots, scored a season-high 19 points, and Cornfoot, who came into the game shooting an icy 29% on the season, finally found his shot to tally a season-high 13.

However, the rest of the Cougars struggled mightily, and particularly with open shots. The starting 5 of Lance Soderberg, Spencer Foster, Brice Prather, Larry English and Mike Hornbuckle were a combined 10-for-47 (21%) from the floor

After the Cougars eased out to a 5-0 lead following the opening tip, an arctic chill moved through the Felix Event Center. Azusa Pacific missed 17 of its first 20 shots, and Mountain State took advantage by assuming a comfortable 17-7 lead. Cornfoot, who until tonight was perhaps the coldest of all the Cougars, found his elusive shooting touch and came off the bench to bang home 3-of-5 shots, including a trey. His burst got Azusa Pacific back into the game, and following a Soderberg lay-up the Cougars found themselves up 25-24 with 4:30 left in the half.

However, Mountain State finished the half with an 11-4 run to assume a 35-29 cushion at the break. MSU led throughout most of the second half until Foster and Pratt nailed consecutive treys to knot the game at 64-64 with 3:53 remaining. Foster made the front-end of a one-and-one to give Azusa Pacific a short-lived 1-point lead. Led by Daniels' bombs, Mountain State responded with a 10-0 run in 2 minutes to put the game on ice, as if it weren't already.

"Our defense was fine," said Odell. "They average 92 a game and we held them to 77. If we board a little better and knock some shots down, we win the game."

Daniels led Mountain State with 15 points while Terzic Mersad added 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. For the game, Mountain State shot 43% (27-for-63) from the floor while Azusa Pacific was a season-low 31%.

With the loss, Azusa Pacific falls to 6-3 on the season, and will host Bethany College Saturday at 7:30 p.m. to close out the 18th Annual Cougar Classic.