AZUSA, Calif. – No. 12 Azusa Pacific claimed a 93-68 win over visiting Fresno Pacific on Saturday afternoon, improving the Cougars' overall record to 6-1, as well as a 2-0 PacWest mark. Azusa Pacific started a perfect 8-for-8 from beyond-the-arc to start the game, and the Cougars would enter halftime at 90% (9-for-10) from deep. When the final buzzer sounded, Azusa Pacific had finished 11-for-19 (57.9%) from three, which matches the program's best game from three in the NCAA era, which occurred in the 2015-16 season in a 91-67 win against Western Washington. In that contest, the Cougars also went 11-for-19, led by four threes a piece from Kelly Hardeman and Joelle Tampien.

Of the first eight triples this afternoon, Kayla Shaw hit five of them, which accounted for 15 of her season-high 24 points in the contest. Laura Pranger, who played in just her second game of the regular season this year, scored 18 points, had nine blocks, and collected four rebounds. Through two games thus far, Pranger has already tallied 17 blocks, which is the ninth-most in the country. For the second-consecutive contest, Paige Uyehara delivered a double-double for the Cougars, scoring 17 points and dishing out 11 assists, while also adding five steals. Molly Whitmore also reached double-figures in scoring, tallying 11 points. 

How it Happened: The Cougars opened the game by outsourcing the Sunbirds by a 25-16 margin in the first quarter. Azusa Pacific went 5-for-5 from deep in the first, while holding Fresno Pacific to 4-for-15 shooting from the floor. The Sunbirds were able to keep the deficit in single digits due in large part to a concentrated effort to attack the lane offensively, which resulted in the Cougars committing five fouls and Fresno Pacific shooting eight free throws, six of which were converted. 

In the second quarter, Fresno Pacific was able to draw as close as seven, at 32-25 with 7:30 left before halftime, but the Cougars would then go on an 11-2 run that grew the score to the largest margin of the first half at 43-27, with about four and half minutes on the clock. While the Sunbirds could not cut the deficit down to single digits, the difference had shrunk to 48-38 at the break. In the second quarter, the Cougars went 4-for-5 from three while also working their way to the charity stripe, where Azusa Pacific knocked down seven of its eight opportunities. 

Turning Point: With 6:49 to go in the third quarter, Azusa Pacific held a 57-45 lead. Over the next three minutes, Azusa Pacific would score 11 points on the offensive end while holding the Sunbirds to just two points defensively, which gave the Cougars their first lead of 20 points or more at 68-47 when Whitmore hit a jumper with 3:27 remaining in the period. While the Sunbirds would score on their ensuing possession to get it back in the teens (68-49), the Cougars would close the quarter with an 8-2 run that put Azusa Pacific up by 20 or more for the remainder of the contest.

In the fourth quarter, Azusa Pacific held leads as large as 29, first at 84-55 (6:26), and then at 86-57 (5:54). The closest the game would be over the final ten minutes was a 24-point difference, which was at the 1:46 mark (92-68). 

By the Numbers: The Cougars finished the game at 48% (29-for-61) from the floor. While Azusa Pacific was lights out from deep, the Cougars refused to settle for long-range jumpers, as the team finished with 31 free throw attempts, knocking down 24 of their opportunities (77%). Of the Cougars' 29 made field goals, 21 were assisted on. Additionally, Azusa Pacific posted advantages in points in the paint (28-18) and points off of turnovers (24-15), 

Up Next: The Cougars will now prepare to host their rivals, the Biola Eagles, for the first of two Cornerstone Cup meetings this season. The Eagles visit the Felix Event Center on Saturday, December 11 at 2:15 pm. Azusa Pacific has won the last 10 meetings between the two programs, with the Eagles' last win occurring in 2017. Biola will enter Saturday's Cornerstone Cup showdown with a three-game winning streak, and a 6-2 overall record.

POSTGAME INTERVIEW: LAURA PRANGER & KAYLA SHAW