AZUSA, Calif. – It was a tale of two halves inside the Felix Event Center as Azusa Pacific built a big lead, then held on for dear life, prevailing 60-54 over Cal Poly Pomona on Friday night. Ken West led the Cougars with 17 points, and he was joined in double figures by Nate Kleppe with 11 and freshman Kaleb Taylor, who had 10 off the bench.
How It Happened: While the Broncos scored first, once the Cougars got on the scoreboard with back-to-back threes from West and Justin Hemsley, they never trailed again. Using a stout defense that held the Broncos to just 28% shooting from the field in the first half, Azusa Pacific built a lead that stretched to as much as 16 on multiple occasions, including at the half as McKelary Robertson drove for a layup just before the buzzer to make the lead 40-24. The Cougars shot 58% in the half themselves, including knocking down six shots from beyond the arc.
But Cal Poly's calling card has always been defense, and the perennial CCAA contender proved that in the second half, holding the Cougars to just five made field goals in the second half, one of which was a goaltending call. The Broncos went on a 12-0 run at one point, cutting the deficit to just two points at 44-42, and would eventually draw even at 50-50 with 4:40 to play. West, however, would answer back immediately with a triple, his fifth of the game, to put the Cougars ahead for good.
Turning Point: The Broncos were still within a single point at 53-52 with 2:46 remaining. However, Bryce Sloan pulled down the rebound when the Broncos missed the front end of a one-and-one, and the ensuing possession turned into a conventional three-point play from Kleppe. The Cougars then forced a turnover on the following possession, followed by a pair of free throws from Kleppe with under two minutes to play. It would remain a two possession game the rest of the evening.
By the Numbers: The Cougars bench proved a vital source of scoring, providing 18 points in the first half and outsourcing their Bronco counterparts 22-11 on the night. The Cougars narrowly won the battle of the boards, corralling 34 rebounds to Cal Poly's 33. Sloan had a team-high five rebounds and six assists. Azusa Pacific has beaten Cal Poly Pomona five times in their last seven meetings dating back to the 2015 West Region semifinals.
Up Next: The Cougars (1-0) will have a quick turnaround time as they will be back on the Event Center floor tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. for a matchup against Chico State, who reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament last season. The game can be streamed HERE.
