King, who just 10 days ago was averaging a team-leading 14 points a game, registered just 14 points combined in the Cougars' most recent victories over Hope International and San Diego Christian. Tonight, however, King used an assortment of shots, including mid- and long-range jumpers to go along with driving lay-ups, to convert 7-of-10 shots and lead Azusa Pacific to its 31st consecutive win over Fresno Pacific.

"I didn't see myself as in a slump but I wanted to be a leader on the court tonight," said King. "Earlier in the season coach said I had a good first step, so I've been trying to use it more. Tonight I tried to mix up my offense, shoot from the outside and drive as well because I think teams underestimate my quickness."

King was 1 of 6 Cougars in double figures. For the fourth straight game freshman guard Mike Danielian came off the bench with a hot hand, pouring in 15 points on the strength of a trio of 3 pointers. All-GSAC guard Demario Butler added 11 points while juniors Todd Martin and Khalif Ford chipped in with 10 points apiece.

Senior forward Scott Zea tallied 12 points, including 10 in the first half when he sparked a 17-3 Cougar run with 2 consecutive treys that put Azusa Pacific up 32-14 with just under 6 minutes left in the first half.

"With the fire power we have, we're hard to stop," King added. "Any one of our starters can score 20 points on a given night, and a couple of guys can come off the bench and get us 20 as well. The further we get into the season the more comfortable we're getting with each other."

Azusa Pacific controlled play on the inside, out-rebounding Fresno Pacific by a hefty 51-to-28 margin. As a result the Cougars outscored Fresno Pacific, 29-12, on second chance points. Zea grabbed a game-high 9 rebounds to narrowly miss his second double-double of the season.

"Fresno has had a lot of success this year off offensive rebounds," said Cougar coach Bill Odell, "and we did a fantastic job tonight holding them to just 7."

The Cougars were equally impressive on defense, holding the Sunbirds to just 33-percent shooting (19-for-58), which included a chilly 8-for-30 clip in the first half that allowed Azusa Pacific to jettison to a 41-24 halftime lead.

"I feel like we're playing better defense lately, being more consistent," added Odell. "We're playing hard over longer stretches of a game and maintaining our intensity for longer periods of time."

Indeed, the Cougars are playing their best basketball of the season. They've won 10 straight and the last 9 victories have been by 15 or more points. Still, tonight's final outcome is rather surprising considering that Fresno Pacific is a vastly improved team and is headed toward its best season is several years.

"We knew coming in that Fresno Pacific was a pretty good team," said King, "and we felt that if we could beat them by at least 20 we would send a message to the rest of the GSAC."

With the victory, Azusa Pacific takes over sole possession of first place in the GSAC, moving past Concordia which fell tonight, 69-66, at Point Loma Nazarene. The Cougars improve to 14-1 overall, 4-1 in the GSAC. Fresno Pacific, which was paced by Jordan Farley's game-high 20 points off the bench, falls to 10-5 overall, 4-3 in the GSAC.