HILO, Hawaii – Better late than never.

Azusa Pacific overcame a double figure deficit in the final quarter to tally a 66-65 win against Hawaii-Hilo to start the New Year.

The winning point came when Gabrielle Kaiser hit the first of two free throws with just two seconds on the clock to conclude the rally. With 5:37 left in the game, Azusa Pacific (6-7, 4-1 PacWest) was down 59-48 before finishing the game with a furious comeback.

Rachel Bozlee led the way offensive as she nailed five three-pointers en route to her 21-point evening.  It is the second time this season the freshman has come into a game as a reserve and hit at least five shots from behind the arc.

Samantha Huddleston also played a pivotal role as a reserve by scoring 11 points and grabbing six rebounds in 20 minutes. Kaiser's game winning foul shot capped a 14-point effort to round out the double figure scorers.

"It was a great comeback win. The team never quite and we battled well on the boards during the second half," head coach T.J. Hardeman said. "Both Samantha and Rachel were huge off the bench. Both of them provided quality minutes and brought good energy to the win."

With Azusa Pacific holding a lead a majority of the first two quarters, the home team finished the second quarter in fine form to take a 31-27 lead at the break.

Hawaii-Hilo led the entire final two quarters until Kaiser's winning shot from the charity stripe.  Entering the final period, the Vulcans (1-8, 1-5) held a 48-46 lead and methodically increased it before the Cougar rally.

It was a group effort during the final five-plus minutes during Azusa Pacific's 18-6 finishing rally. Four different players scored as the Cougars hit two shots from behind the arc, made eight free throws  plus two others two-point field goals. All told, they missed just five total shots and had just one turnovers during the final stretch.

Tuesday's win is the first of three games for the Cougars in Hawaii. On Thursday, Azusa Pacific travels to Honolulu for a match-up with Hawaii Pacific as they try to win their fourth straight.