AZUSA, Calif. -- Propelled by a fast start with five first-quarter three-pointers, the Azusa Pacific women's basketball team claimed its fourth consecutive victory over Pacific West Conference rival Biola in the schools' Cornerstone Cup rivalry series with an 82-53 victory Saturday night.
Junior guard Rachel Bozlee led the Cougars with a season-high 23 points, shooting 9-for-13 from the field and 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. Bozlee hit 6 threes and scored 20 in Azusa Pacific's December visit to Biola in the first matchup between the teams this season. Two others joined Bozlee in double figures, with junior guard Savanna Hanson finishing with 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals, while freshman guard Lydia Nieto went 3-for-6 from the field and 2-for-4 from the three-point line to finish with 10 points and 3 assists.
Azusa Pacific remains undefeated in PacWest play, advancing to 12-0 in the conference and 15-3 overall, while Biola drops to 8-9 overall and 6-5 in the PacWest.
How It Happened: The Cougars claimed an early advantage over the Eagles with a commanding 22-6 lead after the first quarter, finishing the frame on a 19-2 run after Biola took its only lead of the game, 4-3, and enjoyed it for just nine seconds. Lydia Nieto answered the one-point deficit with her first three-pointer of the game, lifting the Cougars to a 6-4 lead.
With three more second-quarter three-pointers, Azusa Pacific hit 8-of 14 (57 percent) from beyond the arc in the first half. In the third quarter, the Cougars put on their best scoring run with a 26-point quarter and held Biola scoreless for the first six minutes of the second half. Azusa Pacific led by as many as 41 points in the third quarter and took a 67-31 lead into the fourth quarter.
Freshman Kelsey Bell scored her first collegiate points with a fourth-quarter three-pointer as the Cougar reserves held the lead for the final 6-plus minutes of the game.
Quotable: "I thought we did a great job tonight with our effort and communication on both ends of the floor. I'm happy to see how our team chemistry continues to improve by finding open players, and it's nice to see us finish with 20 assists on 30 baskets. We shot the ball well all week in practice, so I was happy to see it carry over into tonight's game. Defensively, we wanted to make sure we contested every shot and kept a hand up on them." - head coach T.J. Hardeman "I'm proud of how the team came out focused and ready for tonight's game. I'm thankful that my team knows me so well to look for me and help get me open. Essentially, they are doing all the hard work. I'm happy to be playing with these girls and excited to see where the rest of this season takes us." – senior guard Rachel Bozlee
What's Next: The Cougars return to action on Thursday, January 24, hosting PacWest rival Fresno Pacific at the Felix Event Center at 5:30 p.m.
