BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Azusa Pacific lost to Seattle Pacific on Saturday afternoon, falling by a 70-64 final in the Cougars' final game of the West Region Crossover Classic. The Cougars are now 3-2 to start the season.
Kelly Heimburger scored 21 points for the Cougars, and Paige Uyehara also finished in double figures with 17 points. Alex Lowden impacted the game in a variety of ways, finishing with eight rebounds, seven points, and six steals.
How It Happened: The first quarter was the highest scoring quarter of the contest, with Azusa Pacific taking a 22-21 lead into the second. While Seattle Pacific briefly took the lead to start the second quarter (24-22, 7:30), a Heimburger three put the Cougars back on top by a point, and Azusa Pacific would remain in the lead for the next few minutes. The Falcons regained the advantage with 4:20 before half, scoring a layup to make it 31-29, and they pushed the lead up to 35-31. With just under three minutes to go in the second quarter, a bucket from Uyehara cut the Falcons lead down to one possession at 35-33, but the Cougars would go scoreless for the remainder of the quarter, and Seattle Pacific would take a 40-33 lead into the break.
The Falcons would take the first double-digit lead of the game to start the third, jumping ahead 44-33 just one minute into the action out of halftime. The Cougars would fall behind by as much as 13 in the quarter (54-41, 3:20), but they were able to get it back to seven entering the fourth (54-47).
The Cougars found themselves down 10 at 59-49 with about seven and a half to go, but they would fight their way back into the contest over the next two minutes, making it a one-possession affair at 63-60 with 5:33 on the clock.
With just 30 seconds left, Azusa Pacific would trim the deficit down to the closest margin of the half, when Uyehara knocked down three free throws, but Seattle Pacific would never surrender the lead, which allowed the Falcons to secure the victory.
By the Numbers: Seattle Pacific finished at 46% from the floor (24-for-52), while the Cougars went 21-for-65 (32%). The Falcons outrebounded the Cougars 44-35, and Seattle Pacific also posted significant advantages in points in the paint (38-18) and fast break points (17-4).
Up Next: The Cougars trip to the Pacific Northwest has one more stop, with a visit to Saint Martin's this upcoming Tuesday, Nov. 22, on the schedule. That game will tip-off at 3:00 pm in Lacey, Washington. The game can be watched live on YouTube.
