AZUSA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific does a lot of things well. The Cougars can play defense, execute an offense, and rebound. They just can't do what is most important … make a shot. It doesn't matter if it's a 3-point shot, a jumper, a put-back, a tip-in or, worst of all, a free throw.
The NAIA's No. 21-ranked Azusa Pacific was in control of its game with Westminster, pushing a 5-point halftime cushion to as much as 9 points, until the Cougars hit another one of those offensive lapses, and this time it cost them. Behind the 3-point shooting of reserve Nick Buroker, Westminster used a 15-3 run in the final 7 minutes of the game to rally for a 74-71 upset of Azusa Pacific.
Buroker, who came into the game averaging less than 5 points a game, poured in 19 tonight, including 14 in the second half. His back-to-back treys from the top of the key gave the Griffins their first lead of the second half at 63-60 with 5:09 to play, and they never let their margin get away, making key shots down the stretch to thwart Azusa Pacific's last-ditch effort to rally.
Lance Soderberg led Azusa Pacific with 19 points and 10 rebounds. He banged a 3-pointer from the left wing with 88 seconds left to pull Azusa Pacific to within in 1 at 70-69. However, Westminster's Danny Reeder made a nifty driving lay-up from the right side as the shot-clock expired with 13 seconds left in the game to ice the victory.
Azusa Pacific forced Griffin turnovers on their first 2 possessions of the second half and converted them into easy baskets to assume a 40-31 lead following a Soderberg lay-up. The Cougars were still up by 7 at 56-49 after a Spencer Foster jumper at the midway point of the second half. The Cougars then missed 8 of their next 9 shots, and Westminster took advantage behind Buroker's shooting. The Griffins shot a fine 63% (15-for-24) from the floor in the second half, including an impressive 6-of-7 at the 3-point line.
With 4 minutes to go, Westminster pushed its lead to 68-63, and the Cougars failed to keep the pressure on the Griffins, missing consecutive free throws, a lay-up, a 3-point shot, and another free throw (the Cougars missed only 5 free throws all night but 3 of them came in the final 3 minutes).
With the loss Azusa Pacific falls to 8-4 on the season. Westminster, which joins defending NAIA champ Mountain State as the only non-GSAC teams to win in the Felix Event Center, improves to 9-6.
