LOS ANGELES, CALIF - The Cougars traveled to Cal State Los Angeles tonight to face familiar in-region foe, and came up short falling to the Golden Eagles 59-69. McKelary Robertson led the team in points with 15, shooting 5-for-12 from the field and tabbed five assists. Ken West also joined Robertson in double-figures, collecting 12 points, shooting 4-for-10 from the field. 

How it Happened: There was not much offensive action at the beginning of the game, with only two field goals scored through the first four minutes of play on both sides. Despite the slow offensive start, Azusa Pacific jumped to a 10-8 lead due to six straight points from Robertson. Two free throws from George Reidy and a layup by Hayden Gray gave the Cougars a 17-12 edge over Cal State Los Angeles with eight minutes remaining in the half. Offensively, it seemed that Azusa Pacific found their pace with a three pointer from Reidy, layup by Bryce Sloan and dunk by Kaleb Taylor that led to a 24-17 lead. Despite a late comeback in the half from the Golden Eagles, Robertson's layup in the final 30 seconds helped the Cougars to 30 points, and went into the second half with a 30-27 lead after shooting 48% from the field.

The Cougars opened the second half with a three pointer from Justin Hemsley to take a 33-27 advantage, but Cal State Los Angeles wen then went on a seven point run to take a 34-33 lead. Azusa Pacific was able to tie it up at 38 a piece with a basket from beyond-the-arc by West, and with the help of Sloan and Robertson combining for a layup and three pointer, the Cougars found themselves at a 43-41 advantage with 12 minutes of play left in the game. The Golden Eagles then went on a 16-point run to take a comfortable 55-43 lead, which did not go away for the remainder of the game. Despite a nine point effort from West in the final minutes of the game, the Cougars fell to the Golden Eagles by a final score of 59-69. 

By the Numbers: Despite a solid offensive showing in the paint the first half (48% shooting from the field), the Cougars only shot 26% from the field in the second half of play, shooting 35% over the course of the game. From beyond-the-arc, Azusa Pacific shot 19%, compared to the Golden Eagles 25% from deep. While the Cougars converted 10 points off turnovers, Cal State Los Angeles secured 16 off the Cougars miscues. Azusa Pacific also had 34 rebounds over the course of the game with Reidy collecting six. Head coach Peter Bond also utilized his players off the bench, with 23 bench points coming off Azusa Pacific's side. 

Up Next: Azusa Pacific will be back in the Felix Event Center as they host the GNAC/PacWest Challenge this weekend. The Cougars first game will be Friday, November 18th at 7:30 p.m. against Seattle Pacific and they will return to the court on Saturday, November 19th at 7:30 when they face Western Washington.