SAN FRANCISCO -- There will be no surprise under the Christmas tree for Azusa Pacific women's basketball this year, as the Cougars will unwrap the PacWest lead and take it into the New Year after Wednesday's 97-58 road win over Academy of Art.
Savanna Hanson recorded a triple-double in the contest, scoring 16 points with 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and Cierra Roufosse and Rachel Bozlee poured in 23 points each as five players scored in double figures in the 39-point victory.
Azusa Pacific extended its PacWest winning streak to 17 games, improving to 10-3 overall and 7-0 in PacWest play. Academy of Art falls to 1-6 overall and 0-4 in the PacWest.
How It Happened: Hanson started the game by draining a three-pointer on the opening possession, and the Cougars never trailed as they quickly built a 15-point first-quarter lead and wrapped up the first period leading by a 23-10 margin. Hanson, who scored eight points in the first quarter, added eight more in the second as Azusa Pacific expanded the lead to a 49-25 halftime edge. The Cougars led by at least 20 points the entire second half, and Rachel Bozlee hit back-to-back three-pointers to spark a 10-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 78-48. Azusa Pacific led by as many as 42 points (96-54) late in the game.
Turning Point: Early in the second quarter, Brianna Cates answered a Bozlee trey with a three-pointer and a putback on the next possession, cutting Azusa Pacific's lead to a dozen at 27-15 with 8:35 left in the half. The Cougars responded with a 22-point explosion over the final 8:15 of the second quarter, limiting the Urban Knights to 28 percent (5-for-18) shooting in the period while dominating the boards by a 16-7 margin in the frame. When Hanson scored on a putback with 4:04 left in the second quarter, that pushed the lead over 20 points for good.
Azusa Pacific Standouts: In addition to her triple-double in points (16), rebounds (14), and assists (9), Savanna Hanson added four blocks and two steals. Roufosse hit 9-of-13 from the field, finishing with 23 points and 6 rebounds, while Bozlee scored all but two of her 23 points from beyond the arc with 7 three-pointers in her 23-point, 4-steal performance. Samantha Huddleston recorded her third career double-double (and first this season) with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Laura Pranger followed Monday's 30-point effort with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and a game-high 5 blocks.
Academy of Art Standouts: Lily Perkins came off the bench to score a team-high 19 points along with a game-high 5 steals. Brianna Cates added 14 points, and Ines Medina finished with 10 points and 9 rebounds. Chanel Stuart provided 8 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals.
By The Numbers: Azusa Pacific dominated the boards with a 54-42 rebounding margin… The Cougars produced a 46-30 edge in points in the paint… After shooting 33 percent (7-for-21) in the third quarter, Azusa Pacific finished the game with a 73 percent (11-for-15) fourth quarter, which included 5-of-6 three-pointers… Academy of Art shot 30 percent (23-for-77) for the game, including a 25 percent (5-for-20) clip from three-point range... During its 17-game PacWest winning streak, Azusa Pacific has gone over 80 points 13 times… The Cougars' seven PacWest victories feature an average winning margin of 28 points.
What's Next: Azusa Pacific is off for a long Christmas break with 16 days between games before resuming PacWest play at home against Concordia on Saturday, Jan. 5. That will be followed by another home game against Point Loma on Monday, Jan. 7.
