LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Azusa Pacific soared past Cal State Los Angeles in the second half on Tuesday evening, as the Cougars (2-1) earned a 93-70 road victory to hand the Golden Eagles their first loss of the season.

TyLee Manuel turned in a career-best performance in the victory, as the forward racked up 31 points on 13-for-14 shooting from the floor, while also going 5-for-6 from the free throw line. Manuel had 17 points at the break, and a desperate Golden Eagles defense turned into a revolving door of players trying to guard her, but despite the matchup, it was the same result, with Manuel steadily scoring bucket after bucket. Paige Uyehara had a double-double in the contest, as the Preseason PacWest Player of the Year tallied 18 points and dished out a career-high 12 assists for the Cougars. Amayah Kirkman and Kelly Heimburger nearly joined Uyehara with double-double performances, as Kirkman scored nine points and collected nine rebounds, while Heimburger scored eight points and hauled in 10 rebounds, while also finishing with four blocks.  

How It Happened: The first two quarters of action unfolded in a frantic pace offensively, with both teams getting up and down the court and putting up plenty of points on the board. In the first quarter, Cal State L.A. shot nearly 60% overall, including 4-for-8 from beyond-the-arc, while the Cougars nearly 40% overall. At the end of the first, it was the Golden Eagles that held a 24-19 advantage.

The Cougars would open the second on a 6-0 run, which gave them their first lead of the contest at 25-24, and Azusa Pacific would extend its advantage, pushing the margin to as large as 11 on three pointer from Paige Uyehara that made it 40-29 with two and a half minutes left before halftime. The Golden Eagles would slow down the Cougars over the remainder of the half, which allowed the home team to enter halftime trailing by just one possession at 44-41. At the break, both teams were above 40% from the floor, with the Golden Eagles at 47% (16-for-34) and the Cougars at 42% (17-for-41).

While Cal State L.A. would start the third quarter with a three to knot the score at 44-44, it would be all that the Golden Eagles would have to celebrate in the period, as Azusa Pacific slammed its foot on the gas and never let up, driving its lead to over 20 points at the end of the third at 77-55. 

Turning Point: The Cougars' run to open the third quarter turned out to be the difference maker in the game. With the score 44-44 at the 9:50 mark, Azusa Pacific went on a 20-6 run over the next five minutes, and a three-pointer by Uyehara made it 64-50 Cougars, which gave the visitors their largest lead of the game at that point. From that point on, Cal State L.A. would draw no closer than 12, and the Cougars took a lead as large as 25 in the third (77-52, 0:22). In the fourth, the Azusa Pacific lead remained at 20 or more.

By the Numbers: The Cougars went 34-for-72 (47%) overall, and 10-for-28 (36%) from deep, while Cal State L.A. was 23-for-74 (31%) from the floor, and 9-for-29 (31%) from three. Azusa Pacific assisted on 27 of its 34 made field goals, with four players finishing with three or more assists in the game (Uyehara - 12, Kirkman - 5, Alex Lowden - 5, Molly Whitmore - 3). The Golden Eagles committed twice as many turnovers as the Cougars (14-7), and Azusa Pacific was able to post an advantage in points off of turnovers at 18-4. Defensively, the Cougars forced Cal State L.A. into contested mid-range jumpers throughout the contest, allowing just 18 points in the paint, while Azusa Pacific was able to attack the lane on the offensive end, scoring 28 points in the paint.

Up Next: The Cougars will hit the road for a big weekend up in Washington, where they will take on the nation's second-ranked team in Western Washington on Friday, Nov. 18 at 1:30 pm, followed by a matchup with Seattle Pacific on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 11:00 am. Both games are a part of the West Region Crossover Classic, and the Classic will be held at Whatcom Community College in Bellevue, Wash.