AZUSA, Calif. – After competing against each other for decades as NAIA foes, Azusa Pacific and Biola renewed their rivalry as NCAA competitors. And the Cougars were ready and more than able.
Azusa Pacific led nearly throughout and sealed the game in the final two quarters in posting a 75-61 win against the Eagles on Saturday evening.
With the win the 18th ranked Cougars up their record to 16-2 overall and 7-1 in PacWest games. Biola falls to 4-8 and 2-5 respectively.
The teams first played in 1971 and after the weekend contest have played each other 89 times.
HOW IT HAPPENED Azusa Pacific took the lead for good less than three minutes into the game. However, a pesky Biola squad continued to hang around. The Eagles kept the contest within striking distance in large part because of their three-point shooting.
Azusa Pacific built a lead as large as 14 points early in the second quarter but the Eagle hung around after hitting five shots from behind the arc in the frame. The Cougars took a 43-36 lead into the locker room.
The Cougars continued to hold a steady lead in the third quarter then pulled away late in the stanza. Already leading 49-44 with 5:25 left, the home finished the quarter 14-6 scoring spurt in grabbing a 63-50 edge with 10 minutes left. Azusa Pacific took two leads as large as 17 points and led by double figures down the stretch to seal the win.
THREE-POINT BARRAGE In the opening 20 minutes the Cougars took 20 shots from behind the arc while taking 17 field goal attempts from two-point range. The second half told a different story. Azusa Pacific, who came into the game with the most three-pointers in the nation (159), made two in the final 20 minutes on 13 attempts.
QUOTEABLE
"We take a lot of three-pointers and we are successful with that but they took more tonight then we expected and that kept them in the game," head coach T.J. Hardeman said. "I was proud of the way we played. We had to grind throughout the game to get the win but we battled well."
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Azusa Pacific's 17 made foul shots were the second most made in a game this season
- Savanna Hanson posted her eighth double-double with a 17-point, 11-rebound performance
- Abbigail Goodsell connected on her first four shots from behind the arc en route to her 17-point effort
- Azusa Pacific tied their season long with just seven turnovers
- The Cougars held the lead for 38:05
PACWEST IMPLICATIONS The win keep the Cougars in first-place in the league. Hawai'i Pacific is second with a 4-1 mark in conference games.
UP NEXT The take the next week off before traveling to California Baptist on Saturday, Jan. 13. Game time is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
CORNERSTONE CUP The year-long rivalry incorporates a scoring system for the 14-sports which the two schools compete against each other. After the victory, Biola leads 40-15.
