AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific heads to Hawai'i on a high note after shooting a season-high 64 percent (40-for-63) in a 96-63 win over Fresno Pacific, the fifth time in the past six games the Cougars have shot over 50 percent.
Thursday's hot hand belonged to senior guard Will Ferris, who tied his career-high of 22 points and also tied his career-high with six three-pointers to lead the Cougar offense. Ferris hit the final three-pointer of a 31-6 run which spanned the final 9:15 of the first half and the first 90 seconds of the second half to turn a narrow one-point margin (20-19) into a runaway.
With the win, Azusa Pacific improved to 12-8 overall and 9-4 in PacWest play, while Fresno Pacific fell to 8-9 overall and 5-7 in the PacWest.
How It Happened: Azusa Pacific took the lead for good on a Selom Mawugbe jumper with 10:41 left in the first half, which was less than two minutes before Jake Spurgeon drained a three which started the Cougars' 31-6 game-changing run over the rest of the half and into the second.
The Cougars led by at least 20 points the entire second half and used a 19-6 run midway through the half to push the lead into the 30s. A Joey Walsh jumper late in the second half gave Azusa Pacific its largest lead of the game at 96-58.
Turning Point: In the midst of Azusa Pacific's run to close out the first half, Elijah Hill made a long pull-up jumper to pull Fresno Pacific within 38-25, with a chance to close the gap into single digits before halftime. Instead, he missed another long jumper on the Sunbirds' next trip down the court, and Ferris hit a three-pointer which sparked the Cougars to an 8-0 run in the final minute of the half for a commanding 46-25 halftime edge.
Azusa Pacific Standouts: While Ferris led all scorers with 22 points, Selom Mawugbe added 14 points and 9 rebounds. Jake Spurgeon and Ben Taufahema added 10 points each, and three more (Darien McClain, Jonathan Davis, Gerritt Beetstra) scored nine points each. Noah Bundrant tied for the team lead in steals (2) and assists (4), as he helped lead a defense which collected 10 steals while forcing 13 turnovers.
Fresno Pacific Standouts: Adrian Antunez was Fresno Pacific's leading scorer, finishing with 16 points. Elijah Hill and Nate Kendricks were the only other Sunbirds to reach double figures, scoring 10 points apiece.
By The Numbers: Azusa Pacific shot over 60 percent in a home game for the first time since 2006… After hitting at a 56 percent (19-for-34) clip in the first half, the Cougars were even better after halftime, firing 72 percent (21-for-29) from the field in the second half… also finished 46 percent (12-for-26) on three-pointers… Ten of Fresno Pacific's 13 turnovers were created by Azusa Pacific steals, leading the Cougars to a 21-8 edge in points off turnovers and a 46-22 in points in the paint… The Cougars also generated the exact same rebounding margin (36-28) for the second straight game.
What's Next: Azusa Pacific's next four games are on the road, starting with three games in five days in Hawai'I next week before a return trip to Fresno Pacific on Saturday, Feb. 9.The Cougars finish the regular season schedule with a five-game homestand.
