AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific won its second straight game to open Pacific West Conference play, posting a 66-55 win over Point Loma Saturday afternoon at the Felix Event Center.
Azusa Pacific only trailed once, for a span of just 14 seconds, and the Cougars committed only three turnovers all game while generating a 19-2 edge in points off turnovers against the Sea Lions, who had won four in a row entering Saturday's matchup.
Corey Langerveld scored a game-high 17 points, and Petar Kutlesic added a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double to lead the Cougars, who improved to 6-4 overall and 2-0 in PacWest play. Point Loma falls to 6-4 overall and is now 0-1 in the PacWest.
How It Happened: Azusa Pacific scored the first seven points of the game and only trailed once after that after Josh Rodriguez capped a 10-2 PLNU run for a brief 12-11 lead which lasted a mere 14 seconds before Langerveld knocked down a three-pointer with 11:08 left in the first half. The Sea Lions tied it twice in the next three minutes before the Cougar defense clamped down to surrender just six points to PLNU over the final eight minutes of the half.
Point Loma scored the final two baskets of the second half to cut Azusa Pacific's lead at halftime to 31-23, but the Sea Lions managed just two points in the first 3:30 of the second half to fall behind by double digits again. Rodriguez capped an 8-1 run to pull PLNU within three, 36-33, with 14:37 left in the game. The Cougars had the answer again on the ensuing possession, when Mandrell Worthy drained a corner three to extend the lead to 39-33 with 14:08 to play. Azusa Pacific maintained a lead of six-to-12 points for all but 30 seconds of the final 13 minutes.
Turning Point: In a span of just one minute, Point Loma slashed an 11-point Cougar lead to just four points, with Rodriguez cutting Azusa Pacific's lead to 59-55 with just over a minute left. The PLNU point guard was fouled on the make, but he missed the free throw, keeping the margin at four points heading into the final minute of play. With the shot clock winding down on the ensuing Cougar possession, Langerveld knocked down a three-pointer, and he knocked down a pair of free throws 10 seconds later after he registered a steal and was fouled with 23 seconds to go. Darien McClain added two more free throws in the closing seconds for the final 11-point winning margin.
Honored: Pacific West Conference commissioner Bob Hogue presented the Azusa Pacific Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) with the 2016-17 PacWest Community Engagement Award in a halftime ceremony. Azusa Pacific and Point Loma were both selected for the award for the 2016-17 year, as Cougar student-athletes accumulated over 5,000 total community service hours hosted sports camps and clinics for local youth athletes while raising over $1,000 for Make-A-Wish during the 2016-17 school year.
PacWest Commissioner Bob Hogue presents the 2016-17 PacWest Community
Engagement Award to the Azusa Pacific Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Azusa Pacific Standouts: Langerveld scored 12 of his game-high 17 points in the second half, and he added 7 rebounds while Kutlesic tallied a season-high 14 rebounds to go with 15 points for his first double-double of the year. McClain and Worthy added 11 points each to give Azusa Pacific four players in double figures. McClain also registered a game-high four steals, while Selom Mawugbe registered three blocks to lead Azusa Pacific's defensive effort.
Point Loma Standouts: Ziggy Satterthwaite was the leading scorer for the Sea Lions, hitting 6-of-12 from the field to finish with 12 points. Every other PLNU player was under 50 percent shooting for the game. Skyler White turned in an 11-point, 13-rebound double-double in 21 minutes of action off the bench.
By The Numbers: Azusa Pacific didn't commit a turnover in the second half and finished with a season-low three turnovers, which represents the fewest in a game for the Cougars since joining NCAA Division II in the 2012-13 season… It was also Azusa Pacific's first game with fewer than five turnovers since 2004… Point Loma outrebounded the Cougars by a 47-36 margin but only generated a 13-11 edge in second chance points… Neither team attempted a free throw in the first half, and the first free throws of the game were shot with 15:03 left in the game… PLNU outscored Azusa Pacific in the paint, 32-22, but the Cougars held a 19-2 scoring edge in points off turnovers and a 7-0 margin in fast break points.
What's Next: After two-game and three-game weeks the first four weeks of the schedule, Azusa Pacific's next two contests are a full week apart, as the Cougars visit Dixie State next Saturday (Dec. 9) before taking on Holy Names on the road on Saturday, Dec. 16.
