AZUSA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific raced out to a big lead on Thursday evening and dominated action throughout the remainder of the game, as the Cougars beat visiting Holy Names by a 94-63 final in the Felix Event Center.
The Cougars set the tone for the game early, as they went up 28-6 just seven minutes in. Following a made jump shot by Holy Names guard Rob Fuller, the score was 28-8 with 12:23 remaining in the first half. Azusa Pacific amped up its play on both the offensive and defensive end of the floor, as the Cougars held the Hawks scoreless from Fuller's jumper until the 5:53 mark before halftime. During the scoreless stretch for Holy Names, Azusa Pacific scored 14 points and pushed its lead up to 42-10. The Cougars would maintain a comfortable lead for the remainder of the contest, as Azusa Pacific was up 30 points or more from the 16:50 mark of the second half until the final buzzer.
Azusa Pacific posted significant advantages in several key categories. The Cougars shot nearly 56% (33-for-59) from the floor in the game, while Holy Names hit at a 36% (23-for-46) clip. In the paint, the Cougars doubled up the Hawks in production, as the hosts finished with 40 points compared to just 18 for the visitors. The Cougars also made twice as many free throws, as they finished with 16 makes (76%) and the Hawks had eight from the charity stripe.
Ben Taufahema led the Cougars in scoring, as he finished with 13 points by way of 3-for-3 shooting from beyond-the-arc. Three other Cougars scored in double figures, as
Selom Mawugbe had 12 points,
Brennan Rymer tallied 11 points, and
Terrence Becvar posted 10 points. Taufahema, Rymer and Mawugbe all went 100% from the floor in the game. Taufahema took three shots overall, and Rymer and Mawugbe each went 5-for-5. Mawugbe also grabbed nine rebounds in just 15 minutes of action.
Azusa Pacific also received solid performances by freshmen
Ken West and
Allan McBride. West scored nine points, pulled in eight rebounds and had an assist, block and steal. McBride had six points, five total rebounds including three offensive, and an assist and steal.
Azusa Pacific is now 8-3 overall and 3-2 in PacWest play. The Cougars have one more game in the calendar year, as they welcome Point Loma to the Felix Event Center on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 4:00 pm. Point Loma enters the game as the conference leader, as it is 4-0 in PacWest play and 8-2 overall.
