SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Down by as much as 17 points at the start of the fourth quarter, Azusa Pacific turned to a full court press that allowed the Cougars to come all the way back and take a three point lead with just seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, but a Cal Poly Pomona three-pointer tied it at the buzzer and sent the game to overtime. The Cougars would ultimately claim a 78-74 win, opening the 2021-22 season in dramatic and exciting fashion.

Alex Lowden, the reigning PacWest Defender of the Year, opened the season with a near quadruple-double, as she finished with 14 rebounds, 11 assists, eight steals and seven points.

Three Cougars scored in double figures in the victory, led by 18 points from Kelly Heimburger. Joining Heimburger in double figures was Kayla Shaw (16 points) and Amayah Kirkman, who finished with a career-high 13 points. Paige Uyehara stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, seven assists, and four steals. TyLee Manuel went 4-for-6 from the floor, tallying nine points.

How it Happened: The Broncos opened the evening with a hot hand, knocking down their first three attempts from beyond-the-arc, which helped them land the early 11-5 lead. Cal Poly would maintain a lead until the 1:14 mark in the first quarter, but Kirkman knocked down a midrange jumper to put the Cougars up 17-16. At the end of the first, Azusa Pacific was up 19-16.

The second quarter started with four ties and two lead changes. With a little over a minute remaining before halftime, and with the score knotted up at 29-29, the Broncos scored on back-to-back possessions to go up 33-29. Azusa Pacific was held scoreless over the remainder of the quarter, and a Cal Poly free throw put the Broncos up 34-29 at the intermission.

Through the first four minutes of the third quarter, the Broncos kept the Cougars off the scoreboard and pushed their lead to double digits at 39-29. Cal Poly continued to create separation over the remainder of the third, and it took a 50-36 advantage into the fourth and final quarter.

Turning Point: After a third quarter in which Azusa Pacific could only muster seven points on three made field goals, the Cougars turned to the full court press in an attempt to disrupt the Broncos and get back in the game. The shift in game plan worked, as the game and the momentum was turned upside down over the final six minutes of the contest. In the fourth quarter, Azusa Pacific outscored the Broncos by a 35-21 margin, forcing Cal Poly into 13 turnovers which the Cougars scored 20 points off of. 

With 6:22 remaining, the Broncos held a 55-40 lead, but the Cougars clawed their way back, eventually cutting the margin down to one at 62-61 with 2:25 remaining. With 1:28 left in the game, a free throw from Uyehara tied the score at 62 all, however, the Broncos took the lead right back with a triple on their ensuing possession (65-62 @ 1:26). Uyehara made it 65-64 Broncos with a layup at 1:12, and then Lowden followed up with a steal that set up the go-ahead layup from Shaw that made it 66-65 Cougars with 56 seconds on the clock. After a Bronco miss, the Cougars went back down the court and found Shaw, who knocked down a triple to make it a two-possession game at 69-65 with 31 seconds left. With 12 seconds left, Uyehara was sent to the line for two shots, converting on the first but missing the second. 

Down 70-65, the Broncos' Sydney Fedinec hit a three-pointer to make it a one possession game (70-68) with nine seconds remaining. With five seconds left, Uyehara was fouled and went to the line once again, where she missed her first and made the second. Following the second free throw, Cal Poly took a timeout to advance the ball to halfcourt, where it would inbound, facing a 71-68 deficit with five seconds remaining. On the ensuing inbounds, Cal Poly's Ally Bates drilled a three-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime. 

Cal Poly scored first in overtime, and the Broncos held the lead until a Heimburger layup with 2:16 left put Azusa Pacific by a 75-74 score. The Cougars would maintain the lead for the remainder of OT, and Heimburger would score three more points over the remainder of the contest to help secure the 78-74 victory.

By the Numbers: Azusa Pacific finished at 42% (31-for-74) from the floor, and just 17% (4-for-23) from distance. Cal Poly Pomona went 41% (30-for-73) overall, and 37% (11-for-30) from three. The Broncos posted an advantage on the glass, out rebounding the Cougars by a 55-40 margin. Cal Poly Pomona pulled in 21 offensive rebounds, scoring 16 second chance points. Azusa Pacific scored 28 points off of 29 forced turnovers. The Cougars' overtime victory is their fifth-consecutive win over the Broncos.