MONMOUTH, Ore. – Exactly 365 days ago, Western Oregon's 2015 season came to an end at the hands of a veteran, confident Azusa Pacific team which went on to claim the West Region title. In Saturday night's NCAA Division II West Region semifinals, the Wolves returned the favor with an 81-69 victory over the fifth-seeded Cougars.

Andy Avgi led the way, as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year knocked down six-of-seven three-pointers in a 22-point effort to lead the top-seeded tournament host into Monday night's title game to take on UC San Diego. Avgi accounted for half of Western Oregon's 12 three-pointers, as the Wolves shot 52 percent (12-for-23) from long range.

The Wolves led by as many as 18 points in the second half, taking a 64-46 lead with 7:18 to play, but Azusa Pacific stormed back with a 17-4 run, closing the gap to just five points whenCorey Langerveld drilled a three-pointer with just under three minutes remaining to slash the margin to 68-63. Senior guard LyDell Cardwell answered a pair of Julian Nichols free throws with a short jumper in the lane, keeping the Cougars within five at 70-65 with 2:33 left, but Nichols answered with a drive and an open layup, and Western Oregon converted seven-of-eight free throws in the final 90 seconds to keep the game just out of reach.

Senior guard Bruce English did all he could to fuel Azusa Pacific's second-half rally, scoring 16 of his team-high 18 points after halftime before fouling out with just over three minutes remaining. He hit a pair of three-pointers and scored 10 points during the Cougars' 17-4 rally, finishing the game with three treys and hitting three-of-four free throws. English was Azusa Pacific's only player to attempt free throws.

Senior forward Jared Zoller contributed 12 points on five-of-six shooting including a pair of three-pointers, and Cardwell added seven points to go with a team-high four assists. Sophomore forward Petar Kutlesic added 11 points and 11 rebounds, and freshman point guard Connor Peterson scored eight points and also dished out four assists.

With the loss, Azusa Pacific's season ends with a final record of 23-9, while Western Oregon improves to 29-3 overall and advances to face second-seeded UC San Diego, which beat third-seeded California Baptist in the earlier semifinal on a late go-ahead layup.

The bulk of Western Oregon's scoring load was shared by Western Oregon's senior trio of Avgi (22 points), Devon Alexander (19 points), and Nichols (18 points), which combined for 59 of the Wolves' 81 points. Nichols added eight assists, and he was 12-of-14 on free throws, shooting all of them in the second half to keep the WOU lead at a comfortable margin.

Avgi and Jordan Wiley each hit three-pointers to spark Western Oregon to a 10-2 run to start the game, which Azusa Pacific answered with eight in a row when Austin Dyer and Zoller each connected from deep before Dyer tied the game at 10-10 on a layup with 13:10 remaining in the first half. Avgi hit three more three-pointers in a six-minute stretch, with the last of them extending the Wolves' lead to 27-19 with 5:34 to play in the half.

Alexander scored 12 of his 19 points in the first half, including a late layup that sent Western Oregon into halftime with a 38-29 edge. Azusa Pacific held the Wolves to just two points for nearly five minutes to start the second half, allowing threes from English and Zoller to help chop the lead down to four points, 40-36, with 15:27 to play. Avgi answered the mini-run with another three, and he hit another one in the midst of a 12-2 run that gave WOU its largest lead of the game at 64-46 with 7:18 to play.

Azusa Pacific was one of only two programs who advanced to last year's Elite Eight to win a first-round NCAA Tournament game in this year's return trip to the tournament. Tarleton State is still alive in the South Central Regional with a first-round win over Colorado Mines earlier in the day.