HONOLULU, Hawai'i -- Selom Mawugbe shattered Azusa Pacific's single-game record for blocked shots and produced the program's first triple-double in nearly 20 years, but the Cougars came up just short of extinguishing the postseason hopes of a second consecutive opponent on its home floor in less than 48 hours with an 80-72 defeat to Chaminade.
Mawugbe's triple-double in points (10), rebounds (13), and blocks (11) was the first triple-double by a Cougar since Jan. 12, 1999, when All-American point guard T.J. Walker had 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in an 87-67 win over Southern California College (now Vanguard University). Achieving the milestone in points, rebounds, and blocks was the first triple-double of its kind in program history, as Mawugbe shattered the program's single-game record for blocked shots with 11 to break the previous record of 8, set by Dele Aribigbola in 1992 against Christ College of Irvine (now Concordia University).
"I'm honored to have a spot in the history of Azusa Pacific basketball, because it's very special," Mawugbe said. "It shows not only the hard work that I've put in, but I think a game like this shows the hard work of the team. I couldn't do what I did tonight it without the hard work my teammates put in, so I'm thankful to be a part of such a great team."
Chaminade needed a victory in order to claim the sixth and final berth into next week's Pacific West Conference Tournament, while Azusa Pacific was locked into a third-place finish regardless of Saturday's outcome. The Silverswords' reward for the victory is a rematch with the Cougars on the mainland in the first round of the PacWest Tournament in Riverside.
"We've done this (playoff rematch) a few times over the years in my career as a player and coach," Azusa Pacific head coach Justin Leslie said. "I don't think either of these teams are going to reinvent themselves over three days of practice. We know what we're going to get, and we'll see which team decides to show up with the greatest competitive spirit next Thursday. It's a unique challenge, but it's one of those things that only happens in the postseason, so it makes it exciting."
What's Next: Azusa Pacific and Chaminade kick off the PacWest Men's Basketball Tournament on Thursday, March 1, at 5:00 p.m. at California Baptist University's Events Center in Riverside. The winner of that first-round matchup will take on PacWest Tournament host and No. 2-seed California Baptist on Friday, March 2, also at 5:00 p.m. (PacWest Tournament Ticket Information)
More On Mawugbe: Mawugbe entered the regular-season finale ranked 11th in Division II with 69 total blocks, and his 11-block effort catapults him into the national top-five with 80. The Azusa Pacific single-season record is 88, set by current head coach Justin Leslie in 2001.
West Region Impact: The Cougars were ranked 10th in this week's West Region rankings, with the third weekly release of regional rankings set to be announced on the eve of the PacWest Tournament (March 1). 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. Four of the five teams listed immediately ahead of the Cougars also lost a game this week, including a Point Loma squad which Azusa Pacific defeated in both regular-season meetings.
How It Happened: Azusa Pacific fell behind by double digits midway through the first half, although Darien McClain capped a 9-0 run with a three-pointer that pulled the Cougars within one, 24-23, with 5:24 remaining in the first half. However, only a Mawugbe dunk in the closing seconds of the half kept Azusa Pacific from going scoreless over the final 4:30 of the half, as Chaminade finished the half on a 9-2 run to take a 35-27 halftime lead.
Mawugbe had 6 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the first half alone, and he scored the opening points of the second half to pull the Cougars within six points, 35-29. The Silverswords responded with back-to-back three-pointers to extend the lead to 12 points, 41-29, and midway through the half Chaminade hit consecutive treys again to take an 18-point lead, its largest of the game, at 60-42 with 10:34 to play. McClain, Will Ferris, and Corey Langerveld each hit three-pointers to cut the lead in half, but Brett Reed put back an offensive rebound for a layup that pushed the lead back into double digits for most of the second half.
Turning Point: After the Cougars cut the Chaminade lead to nine points, 60-51, the Silverswords grabbed three offensive rebounds on the next two possessions which led to second chance points on two of its next three possessions. Chaminade led by double digits the rest of the way until Mandrell Worthy's layup in the closing seconds for the final eight-point margin (80-72).
Azusa Pacific Standouts: Mawugbe led a group of four double-figure scorers for the Cougars, who got a team-high 13 points from Worthy. Langerveld added 11 points, while Mawugbe and Kutlesic finished with 10 points each. Kutlesic grabbed nine rebounds and dished out a game-high five assists.
Chaminade Standouts: Austin Pope (16 points) led a group of five players in double figures, and he was joined by Justin Bridges (14 points), Grant Dressler (scored 13 points), Nick Anderson (11 points) and Brett Reed (10 points).Reed was also Chaminade's leading rebounder, grabbing six of his nine rebounds at the offensive end.
By The Numbers: Azusa Pacific was outrebounded by a 47-36 margin, and Chaminade grabbed 17 rebounds from the offensive glass… That led the Silverswords to a 21-14 edge in second chance points… The Cougars also surrendered a 14-4 margin in points off turnovers… Chaminade shot 43 percent (9-for-21) on three-pointers in the game and hit 44 percent (30-for-69) overall… The Cougars shot 32 percent (11-for-34) from the field in the first half, including an 18 percent (2-for-11) clip from three-point range.
Quotable: "Chaminade brought it. They played with a ton of energy tonight, and it manifested itself on the boards. We couldn't get defensive rebounds consistently enough to get ourselves back where we needed to be, and it was such a huge disadvantage to give up those second chance points." – Head Coach Justin Leslie
"Selom's performance tonight was special. Not only was it one of the best defensive performances I've seen in my career, but he also brought it on the offensive end, getting some second chance looks for us. He clearly played with a different level of energy tonight, and I think he's capable of playing big games like this moving forward. He's grown a ton over the course of the season, and to see him grow and make an impact in more than one area for our team is exciting. It's too bad we couldn't have a performance like this to highlight a win, but had he not performed the way he did, we'd have lost by 20." – Leslie
"I just dug in and tried to do everything I could to help my team win. I feel like I fell short, but this isn't the end of our season. We're going to see this team again, and when we do, we're going to be ready." – Selom Mawugbe
