FRESNO, Calif. – In a back and forth game between two teams playing with PacWest postseason implications on the line, Azusa Pacific junior Selom Mawugbe scored a game-winning layup with two seconds remaining, lifting the Cougars to a 71-70 road win over Fresno Pacific.
 
The ending to the game was more than fitting, as there were 15 lead changes and five ties in the final 10 minutes of the contest. During that stretch, neither team took a lead larger than four points. Trailing 67-65 with less than two minutes remaining, the Cougars had a pivotal possession in the contest. As was the theme throughout the game, Azusa Pacific was deliberate in slowing down the game and looking to get the ball inside, as senior Will Ferris worked the ball into the post to Mawugbe, who was able to score and tie the game at 67-67 with 1:47 remaining. Following a couple scoreless possessions from each team, Ferris was able to work his way into the middle of the key, and hit a jumper to give the Cougars a 69-67 lead with 30 seconds left. Fresno Pacific then called a 30 second timeout.
 
Following the timeout, Fresno Pacific ran a play that found Elijah Hill wide open beyond the three-point line, as he knocked down the triple to give the Sunbirds a 70-69 lead with just 15 seconds remaining. Azusa Pacific quickly called a timeout.
 
Out of the timeout, Azusa Pacific put the ball in junior Ben Taufahema's hands. Taufahema received a high ball screen, driving to the right elbow, where he was able to get the Sunbird defense off balance with a ball fake. Mawugbe was able to duck into a soft spot in the lane, where Taufahema dished off the ball, and Mawugbe went up and scored with a left-hand finish, taking the one point lead with 2.6 on the game clock. The Sunbirds had one more chance, however, junior Noah Bundrant knocked the inbounds pass away and seal the win.
 
By The Numbers: As the final score reflected, the two teams played a fairly even game. Both teams shot an identical 27-for-57 (47 percent) from the floor overall. From beyond the arc, Azusa Pacific went 10-for-26, while Fresno Pacific shot 6-for-18. The Sunbirds had more opportunities from charity stripe, going 10-for-16, while Azusa Pacific went 7-for-13. Fresno Pacific won the turnover battle, finishing with seven, while forcing the Cougars into 15. The Sunbirds finished with 17 points off of turnovers, while Azusa Pacific had four points. Azusa Pacific out-rebounded the Sunbirds 40-26, including 11 offensive rebounds for the Cougars had just five offensive boards for Fresno Pacific.
 
Azusa Pacific Standouts: Mawugbe finished with a team-high 19 points, while adding nine rebounds, five blocks, and two assists. Two other Cougars joined Mawugbe in double figures, as Spurgeon finished with 13 points and freshman Ben Avera knocked down four three-pointers en route to a career-high 12 points. Bundrant had a solid game for the Cougars, finishing with eight points, five assists, and a steal.
 
Fresno Pacific Standouts: Three Sunbirds scored in double figures, led by Adrian Antunez, who finished with a game-high 20 points. Aamondae Coleman added 18 points, and Hill finished with 10 points.
 
Up Next: Azusa Pacific improves to 15-9 overall with a 12-5 PacWest Conference record. The Cougars will close out the regular season with five straight PacWest home games, beginning with Hawai'i Pacific on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 7:30 p.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN3.