BELMONT, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific bounced back from a Thursday defeat for a split of Bay Area road games in historic fashion, posting a 101-51 win over Notre Dame de Namur Saturday night.
The Cougars surpassed 100 points for the first time in two years, and the 50-point margin of victory was its largest against a PacWest opponent in the program's seven-year membership in the PacWest. It was also the sixth time Azusa Pacific has scored 100 points in a PacWest game.
Five players scored in double figures for the Cougars, who hit 13-of-20 first-half three-pointers and raced out to a 62-28 halftime lead. Gerritt Beetstra led all scorers with a career-high 19 points off the bench, hitting his first seven shots from the field including four three-pointers as the Cougar bench outscored NDNU's entire team (63-51).
With the win, Azusa Pacific improves to 10-8 overall and 7-4 in PacWest play, while Notre Dame de Namur falls to 0-15 overall and 0-9 in the PacWest.
How It Happened: Azusa Pacific shot 66 percent (21-for-32) from the field in the first half, including 65 percent (13-for-20) on three-pointers, to take a commanding 62-28 halftime lead. The Cougars finished the game shooting 52 percent (33-for-63) overall and 52 percent (15-for-29) on three-pointers. Beetstra scored 14 of his game-high 19 points in the opening half.
Turning Point: Azusa Pacific hit its first six three-point attempts of the game to set the stage for the first-half fireworks display. Will Ferris broke a 2-2 tie with his first triple of the game, giving the Cougars the lead for good; after RJ Louis hit two free throws to pull NDNU within two (8-6), Ferris knocked down his next attempt from long range, sparking a 27-3 run that gave the Cougars a 35-9 lead with 8:24 left in the first half.
Azusa Pacific Standouts: Joining Beetstra in double figures were Will Ferris (15 points), Tyson Kanseyo (12 points), Ben Taufahema (11 points), and Selom Mawugbe (11 points). Kanseyo led all rebounders and posted a double-double with 10 rebounds, while Darien McClain added 8 points to go with a career-high 9 assists. Terrence Becvar was three-for-four from long range, scoring all 9 of his points from beyond the arc.
Notre Dame de Namur Standouts: Kameron Burris-Garaf was the Argonauts' leading scorer, finishing with 16 points while Chazz Wade added 12 points. No other NDNU player scored more than six.
By The Numbers: All 12 of Azusa Pacific's players scored at least two points and played at least 10 minutes… The Cougars posted a season-best plus-20 rebounding margin (49-29)… Azusa Pacific posted double-digit margins in points in the paint (34-22), points off turnovers (23-10), and fast break points (29-7).
The Last Time:
Scoring 100 points: Dec. 10, 2016 (104-103 overtime win vs Dixie State)
Scoring 100 points in regulation: Nov. 22, 2016 (110-70 win vs Bethesda)
Scoring 100 points in regulation of PacWest game: Feb. 2, 2015 (109-79 win at Hawai'i Hilo)
Scoring 100 points on the road: Feb. 25, 2016 (100-99 overtime win at Chaminade)
Winning margin over 50 points: Nov. 20, 2015 (104-49 win vs The Master's)
Winning margin over 50 points in conference game: Dec. 6, 2003 (113-60 win vs Hope International)
Azusa Pacific 100-point games (PacWest Conference games):
March 1, 2014: 104-69 at Holy Names
Dec. 20, 2014: 100-75 at Academy of Art
Feb. 2, 2015: 109-79 at Hawai'i Hilo
Feb. 25, 2016: 100-99 at Chaminade*
Dec. 10, 2016: 104-103 vs Dixie State*
Jan. 12, 2019: 101-51 at Notre Dame de Namur
*overtime games
What's Next: Azusa Pacific returns home to take on Biola, resuming the Cornerstone Cup Rivalry Series presented by West Coast Sand & Gravel in a 7:30 p.m. contest on Saturday, Jan. 19, at the Felix Event Center. The Cougars won the opening game of this year's rivalry series, 73-59, when the teams met in La Mirada on Dec. 15.
