POMONA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific completed a two-game sweep of traditional California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) powers with a 70-58 victory over Cal Poly Pomona Saturday night to wrap up the CCAA/PacWest Challenge.
Mandrell Worthy led the way, scoring a game-high 17 points off the bench on a 6-of-8 shooting performance from the field, and the Cougars led by double digits from the 10-minute mark in the first half through the rest of the game. Worthy capped a 15-0 run midway through the opening stanza with one of his three 3-pointers, giving Azusa Pacific a 32-8 lead with 7:20 to play in the half. The Cougars led by as many as 27 points in the first half before taking a commanding 43-21 margin into halftime.
How It Happened: Worthy's first three of the game capped a 9-0 burst which gave Azusa Pacific its first double-digit lead, 14-4, and the Cougars reeled off 15 straight points just a few minutes later to keep the lead in double digits for good. Darien McClain hit two free throws with 3:30 left in the first half to extend the lead to 27 points (43-16), and Azusa Pacific matched its largest lead again in the first four minutes of the first half when Selom Mawugbe hit a pair of free throws for a 52-25 lead with 16:17 to play in the game.
Cal Poly Pomona answered with a 13-0 run, cutting the lead to 52-38 with 10:33 to play, but a Mawugbe dunk gave Azusa Pacific the shot of energy it needed for a strong finish. The Broncos never got closer than 13 points until the final minute of the game.
Turning Point: When Worthy hit a three-pointer which gave Azusa Pacific a 14-4 lead, it was the first of seven three-pointers made by the Cougars from beyond the arc in an eight-minute span (three from Worthy), and it turned a single-digit edge into a commanding spread of 20-plus points which lasted well into the second half.
Quotable: "I'm proud of the fight we displayed throughout both games this weekend. UC San Diego and Cal Poly Pomona were two very good teams who tested us on both ends of the floor, but we stayed poised and answered their runs to earn two quality wins we can be proud of."
-- Azusa Pacific Head Coach Justin Leslie
Azusa Pacific Standouts: Worthy was the leading scorer (17 points) of three double-digit scorers for Azusa Pacific. McClain added 16 points and team-highs of 5 assists and 3 steals, while Mawugbe scored 10 points with 7 rebounds. Will Ferris was a perfect 3-for-3 on 3-pointers to finish with 9 points.
Cal Poly Pomona Standouts: William Christmas was the Broncos' only player to score in double figures, posting a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double to lead Cal Poly Pomona. No other player scored more than 7 points, although Jordan Ogundiran dished out a game-high 8 assists.
By The Numbers: Azusa Pacific held Cal Poly Pomona to a three-point shooting percentage of just 17 percent (4-for-23), and the Broncos were only 36 percent (23-for-64) from the field overall… The Cougars made 14-of-25 (56 percent) field goals in the opening half and finished 20-for-43 (47 percent) overall… Cal Poly Pomona held the advantage in points in the paint (28-18) and second chance points (23-11), but the Cougars owned the edge in points off turnovers (23-20)… For the second straight game, Ben Taufahema hit his only shot from the field, a three-pointer.
What's Next: Azusa Pacific hosts Colorado Christian for its home opener Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m., and the Cougars will spend the next weekend in the Pacific Northwest for non-conference games against Western Oregon and Eastern New Mexico.
