Azusa Pacific quickness, size and depth were on display and evident from the opening tip. The Cougars zipped out to a 29-5 cushion, using a 17-0 run over a 6-minute stretch to take control of the contest. Nine different Cougars scored in the first half, with all-conference guard Demario Butler leading the Cougar outburst, scoring all 10 of his points in the first half.

"I thought it was a good start to the season," said Cougar coach Bill Odell. "I liked our defensive intensity in the first half. I wish we could have maintained that same intensity in the second half, but they shot the ball pretty well and we got a little sluggish."

Azusa Pacific led wire-to-wire, scoring the game's first 8 points. By the time the Cougars assumed their 24 point lead 11 minutes into play, they were in cruise control. The Hardrockers out of Rapid City, S.D., never got any closer than 18 the rest of the way, and Azusa Pacific led by as much as 34 on a couple of occasions in the second half.

Five different Cougars scored in double figures with senior forward Tristan King leading the way with 14 points. Junior guard Matt Oliver added a career-high 12 points off the bench. A trio of Cougars chipped in with 10 points, but none were more dramatic then those tallied by junior center Chidi Ajufo, who threw down 4 thunderous dunks for all but 2 of his points.

"That was a fun game, and I'm excited that I played well," said the 6-foot-6 Ajufo, a Nigerian by decent who was born in London, England. "As long as the guys see me on the fast break and I can get the ball down there, I'm going after a dunk."

The Cougars' quickness took the spotlight in the early going, forcing 7 Hardrocker turnovers in the first 6 minutes, translating into the Azusa Pacific offensive blitz in which the Cougars' scored 29 of the game's first 34 points.

"We didn't run any plays the first 10 minutes," said Ajufo. "It was fast-break after fast-break. Tristan and Demario are high flyers. When we get everyone on the same page, it is going to be a crazy game for us."

In all, the Cougars forced South Dakota Mines into 24 turnovers, 15 in the first-half alone of which Azusa Pacific turned into 19 free points in the first 20 minutes of play. Point guard Khalif Ford, a junior transfer from Illinois State, had 5 steals and Oliver picked 4 of his own. In all, Azusa Pacific registered 19 steals.

"Having someone with Khalif's quickness defending the ball makes it so easy to defend in other places," said Odell.

All 14 Cougars played, with 11 getting at least 10 minutes of action. Other than Ford, who logged 29 minutes of work, no Cougar played more than 23 minutes against South Dakota Mines.

"When you're playing 3 games in a weekend, you want to be able to play everyone," Odell added.

Azusa Pacific, now 1-0 on the season, returns to the hardwood Saturday night when they entertain Rocky Mountain College of Billings, Mont., during the second day of the Tip-Off Classic. South Dakota Mines, which is 2-2 on the young season, returns to the Felix Event Center to take on Concordia at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow evening.