BELLINGHAM, Wash. – In a potential playoff preview, the Cougars went on the road and got a big win over the defending national runners-up, defeating top-ranked Western Washington 59-58 Friday afternoon inside the Whatcom Pavilion. Molly Whitmore led three Cougars in double figures with 13 points in the victory. Western Washington came into the game ranked #1 in the D2SIDA poll and #2 in the WBCA Coaches' poll.
How It Happened: The Cougars got off to a slow start, missing their first four shots from the field and trailing by as many as a dozen points in the first quarter as the Vikings opened the game on an 18-6 run. Azusa Pacific would hold Western Washington to a single free throw the rest of the quarter and pulled within seven at 19-12. A 10-2 run early in the second would get the Cougars within a single point at 23-22, but the Vikings would hold onto the lead for the remainder of the first half at 34-32.
Back-to-back baskets by Whitmore and Paige Uyehara early in the third quarter would give the Cougars their first lead of the day at 36-34. The back-and-forth quarter saw five ties and three lead changes, with Azusa Pacific pulling ahead by the end of the frame at 48-45 on an Alex Lowden three.
Turning Point: Western Washington briefly reclaimed the lead early in the final quarter at 50-48. But from that moment, the Cougars would hold the Vikings without a point over their next seven trips down the floor, a stretch that spanned more than five minutes of game time, during which the Cougars got six crucial points to take a lead they would not relinquish. Uyehara would knock down three free throws sandwiching a layup by Tylee Manuel with just under a minute remaining to provide the winning points.
By the Numbers: Each team forced 17 turnovers in the game, but the Cougars were able to convert theirs into 20 points while the Vikings could only muster seven. Uyehara had 12 points, while Amayah Kirkman added 10 off the bench. Lowden, as is her wont, filled the box score, finishing with seven points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. The Cougars won despite being outrebounded 43-33. This was the first time in the NCAA era that the Cougars have played the top-ranked team in the country. The last time Azusa Pacific defeated a #1-ranked team was when they beat Union (TN) 65-59 in the championship game of the 2011 NAIA Tournament.
Coaches' Corner: "We are pleased with our team's ability to focus on the game plan. Western Washington is always a challenging opponent due to their size and strength, but our ladies are resilient and we were able to come out on top." – Cougars' assistant coach Whitley Graddy
Up Next: #21 Azusa Pacific (3-1) will continue their three-game Washington road trip Saturday when they take on Seattle Pacific in a neutral-site game that tips off at 11:00 a.m. While there will be no video, livestats are available HERE.
