AZUSA, Calif. – For the second straight game sophomore guard Sarah Leather knocked down 7 shots from the 3-point arc and the NAIA's No. 17-ranked Azusa Pacific used an inside-out attack to roll past No. 12 Point Loma Nazarene for a 75-54 Golden State Athletic Conference upset victory.
Leathers scored a game-high 21 points, including 15 in the second half, all on 3-point baskets, and Lindsey West added 18, all in the paint, to put a one-two hurt on Point Loma. The victory vaults the Cougars past the Sea Lions and into second place in the GSAC with 3 games remaining. It also gives, Azusa Pacific a season-split with Point Loma, which dumped the Cougars by 9 in San Diego last month.
Point Loma Nazarene was paced by Kerra Wodarski's 16 points, but the sophomore guard fouled out of the game with 13 minutes left, taking with her any chance the Sea Lions had of coming back. The Cougars never allowed Point Loma closer than 16 in the second half led by as much as 29 points on a couple of occasions before settling for the 21-point victory.
The Cougars used the inside-out approach to its full potential in the first half, opening a surprising 18-point lead at intermission at 41-23. Azusa Pacific put together a 15-4 run down the stretch of the first half to run away from the Sea Lions. While Leathers and Crystal Jeanpierre rained treys, West worked the post for 11 first-half points.
The victory pushes Azusa Pacific's record to 20-7 overall, giving the Cougars their third straight 20-win campaign and their seventh in the past 8 years. The Cougars are now 12-5 in the GSAC, a half game ahead of Point Loma Nazarene which falls to 11-5 in the GSAC, 17-7 overall.
