LA JOLLA, Calif. -- While most West Region observers anticipated an Alaska Anchorage challenge to UC San Diego in the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball West Regional championship, Azusa Pacific had a different plan for Monday night's title game, and the Cougars claimed their spot there with a 64-61 win over host UC San Diego.

The Cougars advanced to the regional championship for the first time after two previous NCAA Tournament appearances, and did so by knocking off a UC San Diego team ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division II with a perfect 30-0 record. The Cougars improved to 27-5 overall with the win, advancing past the second round for the first time since joining NCAA Division II in 2014-15.
 
Azusa Pacific led for the majority of the game, and despite multiple runs by the Tritons, the Cougars never relinquished the lead. The Cougars took the lead for good off of a jumper by junior Daylee Hanson, as Azusa Pacific went up 20-18 with 6:13 remaining in the second quarter. Azusa Pacific led by as many as 14 points in the game, a 38-24 advantage with just under two minutes into the second half.
 
How It Happened: While UC San Diego jumped out to an early 18-13 lead after the first quarter, Azusa Pacific outscored the Tritons by a 19-6 margin in the second quarter to grab a 32-24 halftime lead. The Cougars were able to maintain momentum in the first half on the defensive end, as the Tritons' only points in the half came from beyond the three-point line. UC San Diego finished 0-for-11 inside the arc (8-for-22 from the three-point line).
 
Azusa Pacific maintained momentum coming out of the locker room at halftime, as the Cougars opened the third quarter on a 6-0 run, with three-pointers from sophomore Laura Pranger and junior Rachel Bozlee, which extended the Cougars' lead to 38-24. Throughout the remainder of the third quarter, Azusa Pacific held the Tritons at bay, as the Cougars maintained a lead of eight or more throughout the quarter. However, UC San Diego threatened the Cougars in the fourth and final quarter.
 
Trailing 47-35, UC San Diego played with a greater sense of urgency in the fourth quarter, eventually cutting the Cougar lead down to just two points, at 59-57 with 47 seconds remaining in regulation. Daylee Hanson answered for Azusa Pacific on the ensuing possession, as she knocked down a jumper to push the lead back up to four, 61-57, with 24 seconds remaining. UC San Diego cut the deficit back down to two following a pair of made free throws with 12 seconds remaining, but senior Samantha Huddleston calmly sank two free throws at the other end to push the Azusa Pacific lead back up to four, 63-59, with 10 seconds remaining. UC San Diego drew another foul on Azusa Pacific with five seconds remaining, and the Tritons' Kayla Soto went 2-for-2 to cut the margin to 63-61. Junior Savanna Hanson made 1-of-2 free throws with four seconds left for a 64-61 lead, and the Cougars' full-court pressure limited UC San Diego to a desperation attempt from the backcourt which fell well short of the basket as time expired. 
 
Azusa Pacific Standouts: Daylee Hanson was a nightmare for the Tritons all night long, as she finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Savanna Hanson also scored in double figures with 10 points, filling up the stat sheet with seven rebounds, six assists, one block, and one steal. Laura Pranger had a strong performance for Azusa Pacific as well, scoring nine points with eight rebounds, six blocks, two steals, and an assist. Samantha Huddleston was clutch in crunch time, knocking down two free throws to make it a two-possession game with 10 seconds remaining.
 
UC San Diego Standouts: Haleigh Hatfield led the Tritons with a double-double, as she scored 12 points and had 14 rebounds. Syndey Sharp led UC San Diego in scoring, with 14 points. Joleen Yang and Kayla Soto were the two other Tritons to score in double figures, as they each finished with 11 points.
 
Up Next: Azusa Pacific's historic season will continue, as the Cougars will now matchup with No. 3-seeded Alaska Anchorage (ranked No. 8 in Division II) on Monday, March 18, at 7:00 p.m. at RIMAC Arena in La Jolla for the West Region Championship. The winner advances to the Elite Eight in Columbus, Ohio.