OAKLAND, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific got back on track, and it did so with a vengeance, as Darien McClain torched Holy Names for a season-high 33 points to lead the Cougars to an 84-67 win over Holy Names Saturday night.
The victory kicked off a two-game Bay Area road trip, which concludes with a Monday night matchup at Notre Dame de Namur, and Azusa Pacific improved to 7-5 overall and 3-1 in Pacific West Conference play.
McClain drilled 7-of-8 three-pointers and finished 9-of-12 overall, and he surpassed his previous season-high of 32 points with his scoring outburst. He hit each of his first three attempts from three-point range, all in the first 3:12 of the contest, to spark an early 11-2 run which gave the Cougars the early lead.
McClain scored 14 points in the first half, helping Azusa Pacific take a double-digit halftime lead (34-24), and he added 19 more after halftime as the Cougars steadily pulled away.
How It Happened: After Holy Names edged in front, 14-13, with 14:15 left in the first half, Azusa Pacific took the lead for good with a 15-3 run. Five different players scored during the run, which gave the Cougars their first double-digit lead of the contest. A Gerritt Beetstra jumper with 4:08 left gave Azusa Pacific a 34-24 lead, and that's how the game went to halftime as both teams went scoreless for the final four minutes of the period.
The Cougars made five of their first seven shots in the second half, expanding the lead to 46-31 when Petar Kutlesic hit a three-pointer with an assist from McClain with 15:42 remaining in the game. Holy Names climbed back within six points, 56-50, with 8:37 to play, but Will Ferris answered with a three-point play to spark an 11-0 run to expand the cushion to 67-50 with 5:32 left.
Turning Point: After both teams went cold for the final four minutes of the opening half, Azusa Pacific set the tone for the second half by maintaining a lead of at least 10 points for the first eight minutes of the second half. A Kutlesic steal on Holy Names' opening second-half possession led to a Corey Langerveld dunk, and McClain drilled his fifth three-pointer of the game to give the Cougars a 43-28 edge with 16:18 to play.
Azusa Pacific Standouts: McClain's 33-point performance included 8-of-10 from the free throw line, and he was the Cougars' second-leading rebounder with eight boards while dishing out three assists. Kutlesic added 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds, and Langerveld added 15 points with a game-high six assists. Selom Mawugbe registered four blocks for the third time in the past four games, and he has notched at least three blocks in five straight contests.
Holy Names Standouts: Andre Green led Holy Names with a 14-point, 6-rebound effort, and he was one of four Hawks in double figures. Jewels Sanders came off the bench to score 13 points, and Bobby Kazar added 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Kazar was the only HNU player to shoot better than 50 percent, as the Hawks were held to 36 percent (26-for-72) shooting overall, including a 19 percent (6-for-31) clip from three-point range.
By The Numbers: Azusa Pacific was one shot away from shooting 50 percent overall, hitting 27-of-55 (49 percent) from the field… The Cougars hit exactly 50 percent (10-for-20) of its three-pointers and made 20-of-24 free throws (83 percent)… Azusa Pacific did not have a shot blocked, its third game this season when the opponent finishes without a block… The Cougars posted a 40-36 rebounding margin, which was only the second time all year it has won the battle of the boards by a margin more than two… Azusa Pacific's 50-point second half was its highest-scoring half all season, and the .491 (27-for-55) field goal shooting percentage was its third-best in a game this year.
What's Next: Azusa Pacific concludes its only Bay Area trip of the season Monday night at Notre Dame de Namur. The Cougars resume conference play after the Christmas holiday with a Dec. 30 visit to Concordia.
