HONOLULU -- Azusa Pacific defeated Hawai'i Pacific by a final of 70-52 on Wednesday night, moving to 2-0 on its three-game Hawai'i road trip. The Cougars were led by senior guard Will Ferris and junior forward Selom Mawugbe, as Ferris scored a game-high 21 points while Mawugbe posted a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Ferris also had three steals, while Mawugbe had five blocks and a steal.
 
How it Happened: Azusa Pacific posted a significant advantage in four main categories. From the floor, the Cougars shot 42 percent (28-for-67) while holding the Sharks to 31 percent (16-for-51). In the paint, the Cougars scored 34 points, compared to just 12 points in the paint for the Sharks. Azusa Pacific collected more total rebounds in the game at 43-32, including a dominant performance on the offensive glass as the Cougars had 17 rebounds to the Sharks' eight offensive rebounds. For the Cougars, seven players combined for 14 assists, while three Hawai'i Pacific players combined for just six assists.
 
Turning Point: The Cougars opened the second half by extending the lead to 20 points at 55-35 with 12:47 left in the game. Hawai'i Pacific was able to chip away, eventually cutting the Cougars' lead in half to 10 points at 59-49 with just over six minutes left in the game. While the Sharks threatened, Azusa Pacific responded to the run. The Cougars closed out the game on an 11-3 run, kick-started by a three-pointer from junior Ben Taufahema. With the run, the Cougars were able to put the Sharks away for good.
 
Azusa Pacific Standouts: In addition to Ferris and Mawugbe, different Cougars stepped up in different ways. Senior guard Darien McClain had five assists and three steals in the game. Junior Jake Spurgeon scored eight points and tallied four rebounds in the game. Senior Tyson Kanseyo had six rebounds, including a game-high five offensive rebounds.
 
Hawai'i Pacific Standouts: The Sharks did not have a player score in double figures in the contest. However, Daniel Melifonwu had 10 total rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. Two players led Hawai'i Pacific in scoring with eight points each, as Ronald Blain and David Rowlands shared the team scoring lead.
 
Up Next: Azusa Pacific is now 14-8 overall and 10-4 in the PacWest Conference. The Cougars close out the Hawai'i road trip on the Big Island, facing Hawai'i Hilo on Friday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. (HST). Following the conclusion of the Hawai'i trip, the Cougars will go back on the road to Fresno Pacific on Saturday, Feb, 9 at 4:30 p.m., for their final road regular season game. The Cougars close out the regular season with five straight home games.