AZUSA, Calif. -- Point Loma got a balanced scoring effort with five players in double figures and held off a late Azusa Pacific rally in an 86-77 victory over the Cougars Monday night at the Felix Event Center.
Junior forward Selom Mawugbe scored a career-high 26 points and led the team in rebounds with nine, leading the Cougars on a momentous comeback which slashed a commanding 20-point PLNU lead down to a five-point margin with just over a minute left in the contest.
Senior point guard Darien McClain added 21 points and team-highs of 5 assists and 3 steals against the Sea Lions, but he and Mawugbe were the only Cougars in double figures in contrast with five Sea Lions who finished in double figures.
With the defeat, Azusa Pacific is now to 9-7 overall and 6-3 in PacWest play, while Point Loma improves to 13-2 overall while remaining perfect in PacWest play with a 9-0 conference mark.
How It Happened: McClain got the Cougars going offensively with a steal and three-pointer to start the game, and he finished off a 9-0 run with a layup which tied the game at 21-21 with 7:34 left in the first half. Point Loma responded with its own 9-0 run a few minutes later, as Daulton Hommes and Sterling Somers knocked down back-to-back three-pointers inside three minutes to go to help the Sea Lions take an eight-point halftime lead (42-34).
Point Loma expanded the lead to double digits within the first two minutes of the second half, seemingly controlling the game comfortably with a 20-point lead with just over six minutes left in the contest. A Mawugbe dunk sparked a 21-6 Cougar run, and he finished the run with a three-point play which trimmed the margin to 82-77 with 1:14 remaining. Azusa Pacific forced a shot clock violation on the ensuing possession for an opportunity to make it a one-possession game, but PLNU point guard Josh Rodriguez stepped in front of a pass at the other end for his third steal of the game, effectively ending the Cougars' comeback hopes with a pair of free throws with less than 30 seconds to play.
Turning Point: Mawugbe scored 12 of his career-high 26 points during the 21-6 run which put the Cougars within striking distance in the final minute. Three of Mawugbe's baskets during the run were dunks, and he had a pair of three-point plays during the stretch, including a crucial layup and free throw finish with 1:14 left to cut the Sea Lion lead to five points, 82-77. McClain scored six of his 21 points during the same run, while Ben Avera sank a crucial three with 2:11 left which made it a six-point game (80-74).
Azusa Pacific Standouts: Mawugbe's 24 points were a career-high, shattering his previous career-best of 18 last month against Biola. He was one rebound away from a double-double, finishing with nine rebounds while adding two blocks and two steals to help lead the Cougars defensively. McClain finished with 21 points while leading Azusa Pacific in assists (5) and steals (3). Noah Bundrant was primarily responsible for the defensive assignment against Point Loma's star forward Daulton Hommes, limiting him 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting on the night. Bundrant scored six points on a pair of three-pointers at the offensive end.
Point Loma Standouts: Rodriguez was one of five Sea Lions who scored in double figures, registering 15 points with a game-high seven assists and three steals. Hommes had 13 points, while Preston Beverly scored a team-high 16 for the Sea Lions. Ziggy Satterthwaite notched a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Sterling Somers came off the bench to score 12.
By The Numbers: Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the field on the game, with Point Loma hitting 28-of-55 overall (51 percent) while the Cougars finished 27-for-53 (51 percent)… With rebounds at a premium due to both teams' solid shooting performance, Point Loma compiled a 32-23 rebounding margin over the Cougars… The Sea Lions registered a 17-5 edge in second chance points and an 18-14 margin in points off turnovers… Azusa Pacific was perfect at the free throw line (16-for-16), with Mawugbe knocking down half of the team's free throws on his eight attempts.
What's Next: Azusa Pacific is on the road for its second PacWest Bay Area trip of the season this weekend, first visiting Holy Names on Thursday, Jan. 10 before wrapping up the road trip on Saturday, Jan. 12, at Notre Dame de Namur.
