AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific fell to Northwest Nazarene by a final of 77-63, in the first of two games for the No. 21-ranked Cougars in the Azusa Pacific Thanksgiving Classic at the Felix Event Center.
No. 20-ranked Northwest Nazarene controlled the pace and momentum throughout the entire game, as Azusa Pacific held the lead just once, at 25-24 with 4:27 left in the second quarter, on a layup by junior forward
Cierra Roufosse. The Nighthawks immediately took the lead back, as Marina Valles knocked down a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession.
How It Happened: Northwest Nazarene shot 40.6 percent from the field (21-for-67), while Azusa Pacific shot 36.8 percent from the floor (21-for-57). The Nighthawks were able to create separation from the Cougars from the three-point line, as Northwest Nazarene scored 27 points from deep (9-for-27), compared to just nine points from beyond-the-arc for Azusa Pacific (3-for-17).
Turning Point: With Azusa Pacific holding its only lead at 25-24 midway through the second quarter, Northwest Nazarene was able to put together a 26-10 run until just over three minutes left in the third quarter. The stretch was enough for the Nighthawks to create a enough separation in which the Cougars could not climb back into the game.
Azusa Pacific Standouts: Three Cougars scored in double figures, as Roufosse finished with a game high 21 points, while freshman guard
Lydia Nieto added 11 points and junior guard
Savanna Hanson had 10 points. Roufosse recorded a double-double in the contest, as she had 13 rebounds. Defensively,
Savanna Hanson blocked three shots, while junior
Daylee Hanson had two blocks and two steals.
Northwest Nazarene Standouts: Avery Albrecht led the Nighthawks in scoring, as she finished with 16 points while going 3-for-6 from deep. Marina Valles filled up the stat sheet for Northwest Nazarene, as she had 10 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and four steals.
What's Next: Azusa Pacific is right back in action tomorrow, as it hosts Northeastern State at 3:00 p.m. in the Felix Event Center. The game will be the Cougars' final non-conference matchup, as they will host Holy Names on Thursday, Nov. 29 at 5:30 p.m., for the first PacWest game of the year.