AZUSA, Calif. -- Petar Kutlesic and Corey Langerveld might have envisioned their Senior Night transpiring differently, but Thursday's 95-82 win over Hawai'i Hilo was a perfect representation of the pair getting the job done as they've done so often throughout their careers.
Kutlesic finished with 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists, while Langerveld scored 16 points with 7 rebounds and 3 steals to lead a balanced offense to the team's season-high scoring effort. Will Ferris scored 16 of his career-high 22 points in the first half, and Langerveld provided the finishing touch with 14 of his 16 points after halftime.
The Cougars led for nearly 34 minutes of the game, but the Vulcans kept the game within reach by hitting 58 percent (15-of-26) from three-point range. However, in a matter of seven possessions over a four-minute stretch midway through the second half, Azusa Pacific changed the course of the game completely. The Cougars reeled off a 14-0 run, holding the Vulcans scoreless on seven consecutive possessions while scoring on six straight to build up a double-digit cushion down the stretch.
"Will Ferris is playing great basketball right now," Azusa Pacific head coach Justin Leslie said. "He's shooting the ball with confidence and playing with a smile on his face, and I thought he was a huge key for us. Corey and Petar were steady, and they did the little things and the intangibles that lead to success that seniors are supposed to do."
With the win, Azusa Pacific improves to 18-8 overall and 14-4 in the PacWest. The victory clinched a top-four PacWest finish for the Cougars, who sit amongst a group of four teams atop the standings with 14 conference victories.
How It Happened: At times, it wasn't pretty, especially when the Cougars went 3-for-9 from the free throw line in the first half, but the brief four-minute slowdown of UHH's blistering three-point shooting performance gave Azusa Pacific the window it needed to gain double-digit separation. The Cougars also recovered from their early free-throw struggles, hitting 18-of-24 from the line in the second half while also hitting 52 percent overall (31-for-60) from the field and 44 percent (12-for-27) on three-pointers. The result was a season-high 95-point outburst, of which the 44-point first half tied a season-high in first-half scoring while the 51-point second half also tied Azusa Pacific's season-high in second-half scoring.
Turning Point: Hawai'i Hilo erased a 10-point Cougar lead with a 13-2 run, taking a 57-56 edge with 13:33 left in the game. However, the next seven possessions flipped the momentum, as the Vulcans suddenly went cold for a four-minute stretch. Defensively over those seven possessions, Azusa Pacific forced three turnovers (all steals), rebounded three missed three-pointers, and Selom Mawugbe blocked Devin Johnson's layup attempt. The Cougars converted the last six of those possessions into a 14-0 run, taking a 70-57 lead with 9:41 to play. UHH never got closer than seven points the rest of the way.
PacWest Picture: Four teams have clinched their spot in the six-team PacWest Tournament, and all four have 14 conference wins. Dixie State owns the top spot with a 14-2 record, while California Baptist is in second at 14-3. Point Loma and Azusa Pacific are tied for third at 14-4, although the Cougars swept the season series to claim the head-to-head tiebreaker if required for PacWest Tournament seeding. Concordia currently sits in fifth place with a 10-7 PacWest record, while Chaminade, Hawai'i Pacific, and Academy of Art are tied for sixth with 9-8 conference marks.
West Region Impact: The Cougars were ranked ninth in this week's West Region rankings, with the next weekly release of regional rankings set to be announced on Feb. 22. The regional rankings guide at-large selections to the eight-team NCAA Division II West Region Championship, and the rankings are released publicly once a week for the final three weeks of the regular season. Victories over Chaminade and Hawai'i Hilo this week, along with road games against Chaminade (14-10) and Hawai'i Pacific (14-11) next week, should improve the Cougars' strength of schedule and RPI ratings which factor into the regional rankings process.
Faces In The Crowd: Several key figures in Azusa Pacific men's basketball history were in attendance, including NAIA Hall of Fame coaches and former athletic directors Cliff Hamlow and Bill Odell. Former Azusa Pacific president Dr. Richard Felix attended the game in the building named in his honor. Former players in attendance included Bill DesRochers, a 1988 graduate who is Azusa Pacific's all-time leading scorer, and 1996 Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year Eric Wattree, who played for Odell.
Azusa Pacific Standouts: Kutlesic was one rebound and two assists shy of a triple-double, helping six different Cougars score in double figures. Ferris' 22-point outburst was a career-high, and he hit four-of-six three-pointers while knocking down six-of-six free throws. All five starters reached double figures, with Langerveld scoring 16 while Darien McClain added 10 and Mawugbe posted 13 points and a game-high 9 rebounds. Mandrell Worthy provided 14 points off the bench.
Hawai'i Hilo Standouts: Eric Wattree III (son of former Azusa Pacific player Eric Wattree) scored a game-high 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting overall, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Ryley Callaghan also hit five three-pointers, finishing with 19 points, while Devin Johnson and Will Burghardt added 16 points each for the Vulcans.
By The Numbers: Azusa Pacific posted a 40-27 rebounding margin, improving to 10-0 in games which it outrebounds its opponent by at least four… Both teams hit exactly 31 field goals and nearly matched assist totals, as well, with Azusa Pacific tallying a season-high 22 assists with Hawai'i Hilo recording 21 assists for its second-highest total in a game this season… UHH is 5-2 in home games this year but is 1-16 away from home… Azusa Pacific turned the Vulcans' 13 turnovers into 21 points, generating a 21-10 edge in points off turnovers… The Cougars also registered advantages in points in the paint (38-30), second chance points (12-7), and bench scoring (23-18).
What's Next: Azusa Pacific has two games left in the regular season, visiting Hawai'i Pacific (Feb. 22) and Chaminade (Feb. 24) on the island of O'ahu to close out the PacWest regular-season schedule next week. The PacWest Tournament takes place March 1-3 in Riverside, at California Baptist University. (PacWest Tournament Ticket Information)
Quotable: "Considering Hawai'i Hilo made 15 threes, I'm thankful, and even a little surprised, that we won this game. We knew the key for them to beat us was the three-point line, so limiting that was our focus, and we just didn't do it. I do have to give credit to the group defensively that put together the four-minute stretch that didn't let them score, because that gave us the double-figure cushion that turned out to be the difference in the game." – Head Coach Justin Leslie
"I'm always aware of the history of the program, and it's something I try to share with the team when we have the opportunity. This is a special program, and it's an honor to be a part of it. Anytime we get a chance to go out there and represent those who came before us, it's meaningful." – Leslie
"You never think Senior Night is going to happen to you, and I don't think it has even hit me yet. Getting the win was all that mattered to me. The story of our season is the balance of our team. The most successful teams I've played on have had that kind of balance, so I'm happy to see how many guys have been contributing for us all year." – Petar Kutlesic
"The first thing that surprised me about Senior Night was how quick this day happened. It was a different feeling preparing for this game, and it was a cool experience that just came too quick. It's hard for it to sink in because we have so much more we want to accomplish this season. Even though we struggled on defense tonight, we were able to keep scoring. That kept us in the game and kept us confident. We hung with it on offense and didn't get discouraged, and we're happy to get this win." – Corey Langerveld
