AZUSA, Calif. – Needing a strong all around effort to keep momentum going in the right direction, Azusa Pacific's offense couldn't execute.

Hampered by a solid Hawaii Pacific defense, Azusa Pacific couldn't find an offensive rhythm as the Cougars five-game winning streak came to an end with a 76-48 setback on Monday evening.

The point total was the lowest for the Cougars this season. It was the first time since the calendar turned to 2017 the squad was held below 30 percent shooting as they went 15-for-61 (24.6 percent) from the floor.  

"We just didn't shoot the ball well at all. Really that's all there is to it," said head coach T.J. Hardeman. "We got the ball to our post like we planned to but we didn't make shots."

Azusa Pacific struggled to find the bottom of the net during the opening 10 minutes; an unfortunate trend that continued until the final buzzer. The Cougars hit just three of their 17 field goal attempts but they forced Hawaii Pacific into six turnovers to keep the margin close. After the first frame the Sharks (15-4, 12-2 PacWest) held an 18-13 lead.

To start the second stanza the visitors increased their lead by hitting seven of their first eight shots to build a 36-15 advantage. Azusa Pacific (12-11, 10-5) couldn't rally any closer than a 15-point deficit before the Sharks went into the locker room with a 40-23 lead. For the second consecutive period the Hawaii Pacific defense, which came into the game as the second best in the PacWest, limited the Cougars to just three field goals.

While Azusa Pacific was able to connect on six field goal attempts in the third quarter, they couldn't dwindled their deficit under double figures. The Sharks did most of their scoring down low as 10 of their 16 quarter points came in the paint.

Trailing 56-41 entering the last frame, Azusa Pacific offense continued to be suffocated by the Sharks. Hawaii Pacific pulled away as they build a lead as large as 28 points. The loss also snapped a nine-game winning streak the Cougars had going for Monday games.

Monday's game ends a four-game homestand for the Cougars as they travel to Point Loma on Thursday for their next contest.