IRVINE, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific wrapped up the calendar year with a quality road win, posting an 87-83 victory in overtime over Concordia at CU Arena in Irvine.
Concordia erased a 10-point Cougar lead midway through the second half, using an 18-5 run to take a three-point edge over Azusa Pacific with just over a minute remaining in regulation. Corey Langerveld hit a three-pointer with 39 seconds left to tie the game at 77-77, and the Cougars never trailed in overtime to hang on for the victory.
Darien McClain scored a team-high 24 points and kicked the ball out to the left side where it eventually got into the hands of Langerveld for the game-tying three, and McClain added five assists and five steals. Five players finished in double figures, including a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double for Selom Mawugbe, who also registered four blocked shots.
With the win, Azusa Pacific maintains its hold on first place in the Pacific West Conference standings by improving to 9-5 overall and 5-1 in conference play.
How It Happened: Although Azusa Pacific led the game for nearly 30 minutes, Concordia closed out each half with an extended run to erase the Cougars' lead. The Eagles erased a nine-point first-half deficit with a 22-8 run over the final 6:03 of the half, which included a 14-4 run into halftime. Azusa Pacific built up a 10-point lead midway through the second half, and Concordia battled back with an 18-5 run to take a 77-74 lead into the final minute of regulation.
Azusa Pacific controlled the overtime period, scoring 8 of the first 10 points to take an 85-79 lead with 1:10 left. Brian Chambers and Tad Dufelmeier attacked the paint for consecutive baskets just five seconds apart, slashing the lead to 85-83 with 32 seconds left before McClain found Petar Kutlesic inside for an insurance basket with 13 seconds to play. Mawugbe rejected Mike Mellinger's layup at the other end, and Kutlesic collected the rebound to seal the victory.
Turning Point: Will Ferris and Darien McClain drilled back-to-back three-pointers just 15 seconds apart to answer a J.T. Roach trey less than two minutes into the second half which had given Concordia a 55-48 lead. Kutlesic scored inside on an assist from McClain to push the Cougars ahead, 56-55, and Terrence Becvar hit a three-pointer from the top of the arc to spark a nine-point surge that finished off a 21-4 run over a stretch lasting nearly 10 minutes.
Azusa Pacific Standouts: McClain finished with a team-high 24 points, hitting 3-of-8 from three-point range after entering the game 17 for his last 20 on three-point attempts. Mawugbe's 13-rebound effort represented a career-high, and with 10 points he notched his first career double-double. His defensive effort netted four blocks, which was his fifth game this season with at least four blocks.
Mandrell Worthy scored 15 points and added 6 rebounds, while Kutlesic tallied 12 points and 8 rebounds to go with 10 points each from Mawugbe and Ferris. Langerveld hit the crucial game-tying basket on his only three-point attempt of the night, and Becvar hit a three-pointer in each half to finish with six points.
Concordia Standouts: Brian Chambers led all scorers with 30 points, hitting 11-of-20 from the field, and he added 7 rebounds and 3 steals for the Eagles. Tad Dufelmeier added 14 points and team-highs of 10 assists and 8 rebounds, while Cameron English came off the bench to score 12. J.T. Roach, Concordia's leading scorer entering the game, was held to 6 points on 2-of-16 shooting from the field (1-for-11 on three-pointers).
Quotable: "This week's challenge was trying to develop the type of edge that this team needs to be successful in road games. I really challenged them in practice this week, and they responded very well. Concordia doesn't let you play clean or pretty – it's smashmouth, and you just have to make plays. I was proud of the way they just kept responding and picked each other up to stay together. When it came time to make plays to win the game, they were locked in together. Different guys picked up the team in different spots, and everybody came in and brought something. Guys on the team are starting to see the value in all those roles that are moving us in the right direction." -- Head Coach Justin Leslie
"(Brian) Chambers is an elite defender, but Darien has elite quickness and speed and he's tough to corral. We did everything we could to prepare him and get him ready for this matchup, but until you see it in person, it's tough to really know what to expect. I was pleased that Darien kept making plays and stayed aggressive despite the turnovers. A lot of point guards react to turnovers by becoming hesitant – they stop attacking, and the whole team stalls as a result. He kept attacking and making plays which allowed other guys to play off of him." - Leslie
By The Numbers: Azusa Pacific posted a 45-37 rebounding edge over Concordia, including a 9-3 edge on the boards in overtime… Concordia shot 21 percent (5-for-24) on three-pointers, including an 0-for-4 clip in overtime… The Cougars shot 50 percent (30-for-60) overall, including a 44 percent (10-for-23) ratio on three-pointers… After halftime, the Cougars shot 54 percent (19-for-35) from the field… Azusa Pacific committed 23 turnovers, its second-highest total of the year, but Concordia (which committed 13 turnovers) only turned it into a slight 18-14 edge in points off turnovers…
What's Next: After four consecutive road games, Azusa Pacific returns home for two games next week, hosting Fresno Pacific on Wednesday, Jan. 3, followed by the first installment of the Cornerstone Cup rivalry in basketball when the Cougars host Biola on Saturday, Jan. 6.
