SAN DIEGO, Calif.-- Azusa Pacific avenged one of its earlier PacWest defeats, as the Cougars defeated Point Loma by a final of 63-56. With its win, Azusa Pacific improves 11-3 in conference play, and 17-3 overall while the Sea Lions drop 9-6 in the conference and 13-8 overall.
How It Happened: Azusa Pacific extended its lead early in the first quarter, jumping out to a 21-12 lead over the Sea Lions. The Cougars held an 8-point halftime lead, 35-27, and senior
Savanna Hanson scored the first points of the second half with a 3-point basket to extend the lead to an 11-point ballgame. However, it wasn't until the fourth quarter when the Sea Lions rallied back with its largest scoring run of the evening. A 14-2 Point Loma run over the final seven minutes left the Cougars with a tied game, 53-53, with less than three minutes remaining. The Cougars retaliated right away with an 8-0 run, although PLNU scored in the closing seconds of the quarter to pull within five (62-56) with .26 seconds left in the match. Point Loma was never able to recover as Azusa Pacific sealed the victory with big free-throws in the final seconds and cruised to another PaceWest victory. As a team,
Azusa Pacific Standouts: Two Cougars led Azusa Pacific offensively and defensively, as
Savanna Hanson and
Cierra Roufosse each collected 16 point and 12 rebounds a piece. Hanson added six assists and four steals while Roufosse tallied in four assists, three blocks, and two steals. Other Cougars who showed strong play were senior guard
Zoe March, who finished with eight points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals while freshman
Paige Uyehara trailed right behind with seven points, four rebounds, and three blocks.
Point Loma Standouts: The Sea Lions had two different players score in double figures, as Cara Liggins led Point Loma with 17 points, 13 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks, while teammate Isabel Turk finished with 15 points, and three rebounds.
Team Statistics: Azusa Pacific assisted on 19 of its 22 made field goals, with five players tallying two or more steals and three Cougars with four or more steals. While the Cougars struggled shooting the ball (22-for-64, 34%), Azusa Pacific held the Sealions to just 20% shooting. While both teams finished with 17 turnovers in the game, the Cougars scored 17 points off of turnovers while Point Loma had just five points.
What's Next: The Cougars will look to continue PacWest play with five consecutive home games. Up first for Azusa Pacific is Saturday, February 8 at 2:15 p.m. against Chaminade before hosting Hawai'i Pacific on Monday, February 10 for a 5:15 p.m. matchup.
