SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific pushed Point Loma to overtime in Thursday's Pacific West Conference opener, but the host Sea Lions scored on its final seven possessions of the extra session to pull away late to hand the defending PacWest champion Cougars a 92-86 defeat.

The victory is PLNU's first regular-season win over Azusa Pacific since both programs began competing in NCAA Division II's Pacific West Conference in the 2012-2013 season. The Cougars had won six straight over the Seas Lions, sweeping the season series each of the past three seasons. Azusa Pacific falls to 5-2 overall heading into Saturday's matchup at home against California Baptist.

The Cougars had a chance to win in regulation, but Connor Peterson's right-handed floater on the left side hit the back rim as time expired to keep the score tied at 78-78. Point Loma scored on its opening OT possession and never trailed in the extra period, although Azusa Pacific was still only a point behind, 83-82, on a Jared Zoller layup with 1:54 left in overtime.

Will Ward and Corey Langerveld led a group of four Cougars with double figures, scoring 14 points each. Langerveld scored all 14 of his points in the first half, helping Azusa Pacific take a 41-38 halftime edge, and Ward tallied 10 of his 14 after halftime. Petar Kutlesic added 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds, while LyDell Cardwell registered 10 points. Kutlesic led the Cougars to a 48-36 rebounding advantage and a 25-11 margin in second chance points.

Point Loma made six first-half three-pointers, hitting all six during an early first-half stretch lasting just over four minutes to take a 24-16 lead. The Cougars answered with a late second-half run, erasing a three-point deficit with just over five minutes left with a Langerveld three-pointer which jump-started a 12-2 run that turned into a 41-34 lead with 1:26 left in the half.

In the second half, neither team led by more than four points under the 16-minute mark of the second half until Bruce English hit a three-pointer which sparked a 7-0 burst to give Azusa Pacific a five-point edge, 71-66, with 5:38 left in regulation. The Sea Lions answered with six straight before the teams went back and forth with three more lead changes and three tie scores over the final 3:02 of regulation.

Point Loma was only the second Azusa Pacific opponent this season to shoot better than 50 percent (.516) from the field against the Cougars. The other was Cal Poly Pomona, which hit 28-of-54 (.519) and edged the Cougars, 79-72, in the second game of the season.