AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific needed a spark after trailing by double digits to Holy Names in the first half of the 2018-19 Pacific West Conference opener, and senior forward Tyson Kanseyo provided exactly what the Cougars needed as he led the Cougars to a 65-46 win over Holy Names.
Kanseyo scored eight points but hauled in a career-high 15 rebounds as he led an outstanding performance from the Cougars' second unit off the bench. Sophomore guard Terrence Becvar also came off the bench to score a team-high 13 points on perfect 3-for-3 shooting from the field, all beyond the three-point arc, as he scored the first eight points of a 19-0 run which broke a 32-32 tie early in the second half.
Senior point guard Darien McClain added 11 points while junior forward Selom Mawugbe tallied seven blocked shots to lead the Azusa Pacific defense, which held Holy Names to 29 percent (17-for-58) field goal shooting, including a 21 percent (6-for-29) clip in the second half.
With the win, Azusa Pacific improves to 4-4 overall and 1-0 in the PacWest, while Holy Names falls to 1-5 overall, 0-1 PacWest.
How It Happened: Azusa Pacific's offense went scoreless for nearly seven minutes after a Will Ferris three-pointer just over three minutes into the opening half. That allowed Holy Names to build an 11-point lead (16-5) midway through the first half, but Ferris snapped the Cougars out of the scoring drought with a two-point jumper in the paint. Azusa Pacific closed out the half on a 25-8 run and took a six-point lead into halftime, 30-24.
Jewels Sanders hit a pair of three-pointers in the first four minutes of the second half, putting the Hawks in position to tie the game at 32-32 on a Zavier Harris basket with 15:22 remaining in the game. That's when Becvar drained a trio of three-pointers in a three-minute span to spark the Cougars to the 19-0 game-turning run, and Azusa Pacific maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
Turning Point: Becvar scored 11 of his career-high 13 points in a span of less than three minutes, sparking Azusa Pacific to a 19-point scoring flurry. Kanseyo put the exclamation point on the 19-0 run, dominating a possession with three offensive rebounds of his own missed shots before bringing the ball back out and drawing a foul for a free throw to finish off the run.
Azusa Pacific Standouts: Along with Becvar's career-high 13 points and Kanseyo's career-high in rebounds with 15, McClain added 11 points while Kanseyo and Gerritt Beetstra scored eight points each as the Azusa Pacific bench produced a 39-10 edge in bench scoring. Mawugbe's seven blocks tied his season-high, and he added three points and seven rebounds to his performance.
Holy Names Standouts: Sanders was Holy Names' only double-digit scorer, finishing with a game-high 15 points while Zac Young and Alonzo Taylor added seven points apiece. Andre Green scored six and dished out a game-high six assists.
By The Numbers: The Cougars shot 40 percent (19-for-48) overall from the field… Kanseyo led Azusa Pacific to a 44-35 edge on the boards, with Mawugbe adding seven rebounds while Jonathan Davis and McClain pulled in five boards each… The teams were even in points in the paint (18-18), and the Hawks produced a 14-8 edge in points off turnovers… Mawugbe is now seven blocks away from tying the program's career blocks record (161) currently held by head coach Justin Leslie.
What's Next: Azusa Pacific continues PacWest play, hosting Notre Dame de Namur on Saturday, Dec. 1, at 3:30 p.m.
