AZUSA, Calif. - Azusa Pacific bounced back from a 17-point halftime deficit to eventually overcome Biola on Friday afternoon, posting a 62-57 victory. Molly Whitmore was a dominant force inside for the Cougars, recording a double-double on 15 points and 13 rebounds. Paige Uyehara was Azusa Pacific's leading scorer with 19 points, and Kayla Shaw reached double figures with 13 points. Alex Lowden once again stuffed the stat sheet, grabbing 13 rebounds and adding five assists and four steals. 

How It Happened: Through the first four minutes of the game, the two sides traded baskets and were locked in a 9-9 tie heading into the first media timeout of the afternoon. The Eagles went on a 9-2 run over the remainder of the quarter and took an 18-11 lead. In the second quarter, the Cougars went ice cold on the offensive end. In the period, Azusa Pacific was just 2-for-16 (13%) from the floor, scoring eight total points. On the other end, Biola scored 18 points on 7-for-15 shooting, allowing the visitors to hold a 36-19 advantage at halftime. In the third quarter, the Cougars came roaring back to life offensively, while also locking down the Eagles on the defensive end. At the 7:54 mark in the third, Biola held a 38-23 lead. Over the next four and a half minutes, Azusa Pacific went on a 18-2 run to cut the deficit down to just on, at 41-40 with 1:50 on the clock. The Cougars would eventually take their first lead since early in the first quarter, when Jane Ersepke knocked down a triple to put the hosts up 44-43 with 40 seconds left in the third. However, Biola would hit a three on its ensuing possession and enter the final 10 minutes up 46-44. In the third quarter, Azusa Pacific shot 59% from the floor (10-for-17), including 4-for-6 from beyond-the-arc. The Eagles maintained the lead for the first three and a half minutes of the final quarter, as they clung to a 50-49 advantage with 6:30 remaining in the contest. 

Turning Point: While the third quarter was certainly a turning point in the game with the Cougars' ability to erase the large halftime deficit, it was two consecutive possessions on both the defensive and offensive ends in the fourth quarter that ultimately lifted Azusa Pacific to victory. With 5:50 left on the game clock, the Cougars were still trailing by one at 50-49 and were needing to get a stop on defense. Not only did the Cougars get that stop, but Lowden was able to create an Eagles' turnover by stealing the ball and finding Shaw up ahead for a layup to put Azusa Pacific up 51-50. On the next Biola possession, Uyehara forced another Eagles' turnover, and once again, Shaw was found up court for a second straight layup. The four-point swing put the Cougars up for good, delivering Azusa Pacific its fifth win of the year.

By the Numbers: Azusa Pacific walked away with the victory due in large part to the comparison of the two teams at the free-throw line. While the shooting percentage was lower than desired at the charity stripe, the Cougars were able to get to the line for 23 attempts, knocking down 15 of them. Meanwhile, Biola took just six free throws all afternoon, converting three. The Cougars finished the game 21-for-65 (32%) from the floor, and made five of their 24 attempts from three. The huge offensive quarter in the third certainly salvaged an otherwise difficult afternoon from a shooting standpoint. The Eagles finished 24-for-60 (40%) overall, and 6-for-20 (30%) from downtown. The Cougars out-rebounded Biola by a 46-37 margin.