AZUSA, Calif. -- California Baptist spoiled Azusa Pacific's bid to avenge a defeat in Riverside 12 days earlier, as the Lancers knocked down 11-of-22 three-pointers and pulled away late in the second half for an 84-74 win.
The loss drops Azusa Pacific from its perch atop the PacWest standings, dropping a half-game behind Dixie State, which was idle Thursday. The Cougars are now 14-6 overall, 10-3 PacWest, while CBU pulls closer to the top of the standings with a 15-4 overall, 8-3 PacWest record.
The Lancers shot 53 percent (29-for-55) overall against an Azusa Pacific defense which entered the game with the PacWest's best field goal percentage defense.
Four players from each team finished in double figures, with California Baptist center Kalidou Diouf scoring a game-high 21 points while the Cougars were led by a 16-point, 10-rebound from forward Petar Kutlesic.
How It Happened: Azusa Pacific erased an early double-digit deficit in the first half and finished the first half on a 17-7 run to take a 43-40 halftime lead. However, after a Kutlesic three gave the Cougars a 59-54 edge with 13:31 to play, Azusa Pacific went scoreless for the next six minutes as CBU reeled off 12 straight points to take a 66-59 lead. Noah Bundrant hit a three-pointer to end the scoring drought and cut the California Baptist lead to 66-62 with 7:53 remaining, but Cory Lange delivered a pair of clutch three-pointers down the stretch to maintain separation for CBU.
Turning Point: Lange hit three second-half three-pointers, and all three came in pivotal moments, starting with a triple with 8:51 left in the midst of the game-turning 12-0 run midway through the second half. He added another with 6:50 left after Diouf collected an offensive rebound on a missed CBU free throw, extending the lead to eight points, 70-62. After the Cougars got back within five (76-71) with just over two minutes to play, Diouf converted a pair of free throws and Lange added a three-point exclamation point which extended the lead to 81-71 with 1:26 to go.
Azusa Pacific Standouts: Kutlesic registered his sixth double-double of the season, and his fourth in the past six games, and three others reached double figures with 10 points each. Darien McClain scored 10 with a pair of steals, and Mandrell Worthy provided 10 points and a team-high 4 assists off the bench. Ben Taufahema provided his usual "quick-six" with a pair of first-half three-pointers in a 10-point effort. Bundrant collected 2 steals while scoring 6, and Corey Langerveld finished with 9 points and 7 rebounds.
California Baptist Standouts: Diouf led the way by scoring 21, hitting 8-of-13 from the field while going a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line. He also led the Lancers in rebounds (8) and assists (5). Lange didn't miss a shot, hitting 5-of-5 from the field including 4 three-pointers along with a pair of free throws for 16 points, and Jordan Heading added 16 points while dishing out 5 assists. Bul Kuol scored 11 points to give CBU four players in double figures.
Quotable: "We had a flat spot there in the second half and just couldn't recover. It was a great game, but when it came down to winning time in the end, where over the course of the season we've been pretty good, we lost our composure and had some poor offensive possessions. That led to lapses on the defensive end, and they put on a run to get the separation they needed. We have to be us – defending is who we are and what we do, and tonight we didn't do it. They shot 53 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three on our court. We didn't make them miss." - Head Coach Justin Leslie
By The Numbers: Although Azusa Pacific forced 15 turnovers while giving up 11, the Cougars were not able to capitalize as CBU posted a 19-7 edge in points off turnovers… The Cougars were previously 9-1 in games it led or tied at halftime… Azusa Pacific caught CBU coming off losses in both meetings this season… Taufahema has hit multiple three-pointers in 7 of the past 9 games.
What's Next: Azusa Pacific has less than 48 hours to prepare for its next opponent, as the Cougars host Concordia Saturday night (Jan. 27) at the Felix Event Center.
