AZUSA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific picked up its third win of the season against Concordia, defeating the visiting Eagles by a 71-59 final on Friday evening in the Felix Event Center.  Senior guard Brennan Rymer led the Cougars in scoring with 17 points, while sophomore forward Ken West joined him in double figures with 12.

How it Happened:  It was a workman-like effort all night, as the Cougars held a small advantage for most of the first half before slowly pulling away in the second against a hungry Concordia squad.  The highlight of the first half was a steal by Rymer that led to a dunk by West to put the Cougars up by three in the middle of the half.  But try as they might, the Cougars could not get any breathing room on the scoreboard, as Concordia kept fighting back and tied the game at 25-25 late in the first half.  Bryce Sloan hit consecutive three point shots late in the period and the Cougars would have a 31-28 advantage at intermission. 

Turning Point:  The second half opened with a concerted effort to get the ball inside.  Having sat most the first half after two early fouls, Sasha French got the ball on three of the first four possessions for the Cougars, which resulted in seven points.  In all, the Cougars scored on their first eight possessions of the second half, turning a three-point advantage into a 49-37 lead.  After a brief Concordia run to cut that lead in half, the Cougars slowly put together a 16-6 run that stretched across seven minutes of game time to reach their largest lead of the game at 66-49 with just over six minutes to play, and the Eagles would not get closer than nine the rest of the way.

By the Numbers:  In addition to his 17 points, Rymer had five rebounds, five assists, and four steals.  West had a team-high eight rebounds and two blocked shots.  As a team, the Cougars held the Eagles to 38% from the field and turned 11 Concordia turnovers into 15 points, while also enjoying a 14-3 advantage in fast-break points.  Six different Cougars scored at least eight points in a well-balanced effort, and four of them also pulled in at least five rebounds as the Cougars narrowly won the battle of the boards, 37-35.  The team also had another excellent night at the foul line, making 12 out of 14 free throws, the sixth time this season that Azusa Pacific has shot 80% or better from the stripe.

Up Next:  Azusa Pacific (5-4, 4-3 PacWest Southern California pod) pay a return visit to Irvine to play Concordia for the fourth and final time this season.  Opening tip at CU Arena is scheduled for 4:30 p.m, and it can be viewed live here.