AZUSA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific avenged its second PacWest loss of the season, defeating visiting Chaminade 75-71 on Saturday evening.
 
Three Cougars scored in double figures, led by a double-double from Selom Mawugbe with 17 points and 14 rebounds. He also had four blocks in the game. Brennan Rymer scored 12 points, and also had four assists. Noah Bundrant added in 10 points, and tallied three steals on the defensive end. Terrence Becvar played another solid game for the Cougars off of the bench, as the junior scored seven points and had five assists and five rebounds.
 
The final score was a reflection of the physical game that unfolded in the Felix Event Center. Through the majority of the first half, it was a back-and-forth contest in which the largest lead was held by the Cougars at 25-18 with 9:05 left before the halftime. Azusa Pacific looked to seize momentum heading into halftime, and the Cougars pushed their lead up to 39-28 with 1:24 remaining in the first half. Chaminade made two free throws, trimming its halftime deficit to 39-30.
 
To open the second half, Chaminade went on a 12-3 run to tie the game at 42-42 with 16:26 in the second half. The Silverswords were unable to take the lead over the remainder of the game, but the Cougar lead remained within two possessions until the 3:24 mark. Azusa Pacific increased its lead to seven points off of a three-pointer from Jake Spurgeon, who made the score 65-58. Over the remaining three minutes of action, the Cougars lead would not shrink below four points. Azusa Pacific closed out the game by going 10-for-10 from the free throw line in the final minute and a half of the game to keep the advantage at two possessions.
 
"This was a physical and ugly game," said head coach Peter Bond, "we came out and responded well to the way the game was being played, and we remained in character and stayed the course."
 
Azusa Pacific shot 44% (27-for-62) overall, and 26% (8-for-31) from deep. Chaminade finished 26-for-65 (40%) from the floor, and 6-for-19 (32%) from three. The Cougars posted a slight advantage on points in the paint, finishing with 38 while Chaminade had 31. The Silverswords outrebounded the Cougars 41-39, and also scored more in transition than the Cougars (21-15).
 
"This is an encouraging win for us," said Coach Bond, "we did not shoot the ball well and struggled to find a rhythm on the offensive end for a couple extended stretches tonight. To be able to not get discouraged and find a way to overcome and get the victory is huge. They are one of the best offensive teams we will play this season, and we did a great job of defending and limiting them in transition."
 
The Cougars have a day to prepare for their next opponent, as Hawai'i Pacific visits the Felix Event Center on Monday, February 10 at 7:30 pm. Azusa Pacific is currently 18-3 overall, and 13-2 in PacWest play.