LA JOLLA, Calif. -- What's the craziest thing you've seen transpire in 3.2 seconds? For those who witnessed Monday's NCAA Division II West Region Championship, Lydia Nieto's buzzer-beating three-pointer as time expired to send Azusa Pacific to the Elite Eight with a 65-63 win over Alaska Anchorage may have jumped to the top of the list.

Azusa Pacific held a 62-60 lead with 12 seconds left, only to see Alaska Anchorage call a 30 second timeout and come out of the timeout with a long Tara Thompson three from the top of the key, which she buried to give the Seawolves a 63-62 lead with 3.2 seconds left on the clock. For just a moment, the collective hearts of the Azusa Pacific faithful sank.
 
The Cougars immediately called timeout, allowing for the ball to advance into the frontcourt. Head Coach TJ Hardeman summoned a play to give freshman Lydia Nieto two options to pass to a teammate for a shot. However, as the play unfolded, neither option was available, so with the game and season in Nieto's hands, the true freshman hoisted a high-arching shot from three feet beyond the three-point line on the right wing, and just as the buzzer sounded, the ball ripped through the net to send the Cougar players, coaches, and fans into a frenzy.
 
The victory sends Azusa Pacific on to the Elite Eight in Columbus, Ohio, as the Cougars' first regional title game appearance turned into the program's first NCAA Division II West Regional Championship after two previous tournament appearances in its five-year history as an NCAA program.
 
How It Happened: Early adversity struck for the Cougars, as Alaska Anchorage jumped out to a quick 11-2 lead with 6:50 left in the first quarter. The Cougars finally settled in, as they cut the Seawolves lead down to 24-21 at the end of the first quarter. Azusa Pacific responded in the second quarter, out-scoring Alaska Anchorage 17-13 while the lead for the first time in the game on a Nieto three-pointer with 33 seconds left in the half, lifting the Cougars to a 38-37 halftime lead.
 
In the third quarter, Alaska Anchorage took the lead back at 51-49 with 5:15 left. It was short-lived, as Laura Pranger hit a three to give the lead back to the Cougars at 52-51. Azusa Pacific ended the quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 57-51 lead into the fourth quarter. In the final quarter, Azusa Pacific led by as many as seven points, 59-52, with 8:29 left. However, Alaska Anchorage held the Cougars scoreless for nearly six minutes, cutting the lead down to 59-58 with 2:23 to play. The Seawolves tied the game at 60-60 with 1:42 left in the game before Daylee Hanson hit a jumper in the lane to take a 62-60 lead with 1:20 left. Tara Thompson gave the Seawolves their first lead of the fourth with 3.2 seconds to play before Nieto hit her buzzer-beating game-winner.
 
Azusa Pacific Standouts: Nieto led the Cougars in scoring, as she finished with 15 points, on 5-for-7 shooting (all three-pointers), with two assists and two steals. Junior Daylee Hanson, who was named as the tournament's most outstanding player, scored 14 points,, while tallying six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and three steals. Sophomore Laura Pranger was named to the all-tournament team, as she had 14 points, six blocks and seven rebounds. Junior Rachel Bozlee hit her 100^th three-point shot of the season, as she finished with six points on two made three-pointers.
 
Alaska Anchorage Standouts: The Seawolves were paced by Hannah Wandersee, who scored a game-high 23 points while also grabbing nine rebounds. Thompson also scored in double-figures, as she had 12 points on four made three-pointers.
 
All-Tournament Team: Daylee Hanson (tournament's most outstanding player) and Laura Pranger were joined on the all-tournament team by Wandersee (Alaska Anchorage), Haleigh Hatfield (UC San Diego), and Avery Albrecht (Northwest Nazarene).
 
What's Next: Azusa Pacific awaits the announcement of its Elite Eight opponent, as seven of the eight regional champions have been decided, with one final regional championship scheduled to occur on Tuesday, March 19. The Elite Eight games will begin on Tuesday, March 26, in Columbus, Ohio. More information on the Elite Eight will be released on Wednesday.