POMONA, Calif. -- Darien McClain scored a team-high 18 points, including a the go-ahead layup in the last five minutes of the game to help lift Azusa Pacific to an impressive 70-62 season-opening win over UC San Diego Friday night at Kellogg Gym in Pomona.
How It Happened: After opening the game with a 10-0 run, Azusa Pacific went into halftime trailing by two, 36-34. However, the Cougars rallied in the second half with a late 11-0 run to take control of the game in the closing minutes. After Petar Kutlesic scored Azusa Pacific's first points of the season on the opening possession, McClain tossed in six straight points to help the Cougars race out to the early lead.
When UCSD took a 55-53 lead with 6:20 left in the game, Mandrell Worthy tied the game with a layup before McClain got to the basket for a layup of his own to break a 55-55 tie with less than five minutes to play, helping spark an 11-0 run that gave the Cougars a 64-55 lead with just two minutes to play. From that point on, Azusa Pacific never led by fewer than six.
Turning Point: Ben Taufahema assisted back-to-back fast-break layups to Worthy and McClain to erase UC San Diego's final lead, and he knocked down a crucial three-pointer for his only basket of the game to give the Cougars a 60-55 lead in the midst of an 11-0 burst late in the game. That three-pointer turned what had been a one-possession game for a stretch of over four minutes into a more comfortable five-point margin heading down the stretch.
Azusa Pacific Standouts: While McClain led the Cougars in scoring with 18 points, he also provided a game-high 5 assists. Kutlesic turned in a steady 14-point, 9-rebound performance, and Selom Mawugbe added 11 points with 5 rebounds. Taufahema tallied 4 steals to spearhead a defense which forced 19 UC San Diego turnovers.
UC San Diego Standouts: Christian Oshita scored a game-high 26 points and posted a double-double by adding a game-high 11 rebounds. However, the Tritons only had one other double-digit scorer with Scott Everman producing 10 points while shooting 4-of-12 from the field.
By The Numbers: After shooting 60 percent (15-of-25) from the field in the first half, UC San Diego went cold after halftime, hitting at just a 28 percent (9-of-32) clip in the second half… The Cougars led UCSD in points in the paint (26-18) and points off turnovers (23-19), while the Tritons owned a 13-6 edge in second-chance points after winning the rebounding battle by a narrow 36-33 margin… Azusa Pacific has now won 15 of its past 17 season openers.
What's Next: Azusa Pacific continues the conference challenge between programs from the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and Pacific West Conference (PacWest) Saturday, taking on tournament host Cal Poly Pomona at 7 p.m.
