AZUSA, Calif. - Azusa Pacific extended its winning streak to five games on Tuesday afternoon, claiming a 75-70 victory over the visiting Sunbirds of Fresno Pacific. Kayla Shaw led the Cougars with 24 points, and Kelly Heimburger posted a new career-high of 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the floor. Paige Uyehara chipped in 16 points and four assists, while also finishing 9-for-10 at the free-throw line. The Cougars' win capped off a two-game season sweep of Fresno Pacific.

How It Happened: As was the case last Tuesday, the first quarter ended with the two teams locked in a tie ball game. To tie the ball game up by the end of the quarter, the Cougars had to battle back from a 14-8 deficit with a 6-0 run. The momentum would swing back to Fresno Pacific to start the second quarter, as the Sunbirds would outscore the Cougars by a 14-4 margin and hold a 28-18 lead at the media timeout with 5:15 remaining before halftime. Azusa Pacific would respond out of the timeout, with Shaw hitting back-to-back triples to kickstart a 10-0 run that would draw the score even at 28-28 with 2:40 on the clock. The Cougar defense only allowed one field goal over the remainder of the first half, and Azusa Pacific entered the break with a 32-30 advantage. To open the third quarter, Azusa Pacific was able to push its lead up to 43-35 over the first four minutes of action. In danger of falling behind by double-digits, the Sunbirds slowed the Cougar surge and were able to tie things at 44-44 with two and half minutes to go in the third. Fresno Pacific would recapture the lead by the end of the quarter, entering the final 10 minutes of the contest up 50-46. The Sunbirds extended their lead to as large as seven in the fourth quarter at 56-49 with 7:49 remaining, but the Cougars would not fold.

Turning Point: Fresno Pacific forward Bayli McClard hit a two-point jumper to grab the 56-49 advantage for the Sunbirds, but a bucket by Shaw on the other end would cut the deficit down to two possessions and signal the start of the Cougars' comeback. Over the next three minutes, Azusa Pacific was able to get the margin down to just one possession, and briefly took a 59-58 lead. The Sunbirds would hit a three to go back up 61-59, but Uyehara was able to draw a foul on the ensuing Cougar possession and hit two free-throws to tie the game. About a minute and a half later, Uyehara hit two more free throws that put Azusa Pacific up for good at 65-63. The Cougars were clutch down the stretch at the charity stripe, scoring nine of their final 15 points from the line.  

By the Numbers: The Cougars finished 26-for-57 (45%) from the floor, including 7-for-17 from three (41%). Fresno Pacific posted a 43% (26-for-60) shooting percentage overall, and hit six of 17 attempts (35%) from distance. Especially early on, the Sunbirds struggled from the free-throw line, finishing 12-for-20. Azusa Pacific closed out the game with a 16-for-21 (76%) free-throw performance.