AZUSA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific handed visiting Point Loma its first conference loss of the season, as the Cougars took a 79-62 win on Saturday evening.
 
Two Cougars turned in double-double performances in the victory, as Selom Mawugbe finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Brennan Rymer scored 15 points and dished out 10 assists. Mawugbe also added six blocks and two steals defensively. Mawugbe and Rymer were joined in double figures by Jake Spurgeon (18) and Ben Avera (14). Spurgeon nearly was the third Cougar with a double-double, as he pulled in eight rebounds. Ben Taufahema finished with nine points on 3-for-4 shooting from three, as he has shot 6-for-7 from deep over the past two games for the Cougars.
 
The first half was a competitive affair, as there were five lead changes and five ties, with neither team taking a lead larger than four points. At halftime, the Cougars held a 32-28 lead. Neither team shot the ball well in the first 20 minutes of action, as Azusa Pacific went 12-for-34 (35%) from the floor, while Point Loma shot 37% (10-for-27). The Cougars went 5-for-17 (29%) from three, while the Sea Lions did not make a triple in the first half (0-for-7).
 
In the second half, Azusa Pacific took control of the game by way of a steady offensive attack and a consisted defensive effort. The Cougars opened the half on a 19-9 run, as Azusa Pacific grew its four point halftime advantage into a 51-37 lead with 12:57 remaining in the contest. Over the next six minutes, Point Loma was able to trim the deficit back down to single digits, however, the margin would be no less than eight points. Azusa Pacific took a 65-54 lead off of a Rymer three-pointer with 6:52 remaining in regulation, the lead would remain in double-digits for the rest of the game.
 
The Cougars were able to claim the victory on the defensive end, as they forced Point Loma to shoot just 32% from the floor, and 20% from three for the game. "They (Point Loma) are as good and as balanced of a shooting team as we are going to see all season," said head coach Peter Bond, "we were able to bother them all night long and contest nearly every shot they took. We did a great job of following the scouting report and knowing how to defend different guys in different spots. It was a complete game for us on the defensive end."
 
With the victory, Azusa Pacific heads into the Christmas break sitting at 9-3 overall and 4-2 in PacWest play. The Cougars will take some time away from the court before returning to prepare for a contest at Academy of Art on Thursday, January 2.