OAKLAND, Calif - The Cougars shined in their PacWest opener against Holy Names, with a phenomenal three-point shooting game that led them to knock down 81 points to earn the victory. McKelary Robertson led the Cougars with 20 points, shooting 7-for-11 from the field and 4-for-6 from beyond-the-arc. Justin Hemsley, George Reidy and Ken West all joined him in double-digit points, with Reidy going 3-for-4 from beyond-the-arc and West going 3-for-6.
How it Happened: Azusa Pacific got out to a 12-6 lead with four consecutive three-pointers by Hayden Gray, Hemsley, West and Robertson. The Cougars held a steady lead, finding themselves ahead 34-17 with 5:27 left in the first half. Shooting 43.8% from the field and 55.6% from beyond-the-arc in the first half, the Cougars led the Hawks by 20 heading into the final 20 minutes.
West opened the second half for Azusa Pacific by knocking down two from beyond-the-arc to hold a dominant 48-25 lead over Holy Names. Reidy had a good three-pointer followed by two free throws from Hemsley to extend the Cougars lead.
Turning Point: Azusa Pacific was able to close the door on any potential comeback from the Hawks when a dunk by Kaleb Taylor gave the Cougars a 28 point lead. Azusa Pacific would then go on a seven-point run to give them the biggest lead of the game at 35 points. Those points came by way of Bryce Sloan going 2-for-2 on the charity stripe, a layup by Robertson and Reidy knocking down one from beyond-the-arc once again.
The Cougars lead would hold through the remainder of the half, earning a 81-52 victory over the Hawks, improving the all-time series record over Holy Names to 18-2.
By the Numbers: Overall, the Cougars shot 47.5% from the field and a season-best 51.6% from beyond-the-arc. Azusa Pacific held the lead for the entirety of the game while earning 36 bench points, 20 points in the paint and 18 points off turnovers. Nate Kleppe and West each collected eight rebounds, with Kleppe tabbing two blocks. Sloan also picked up a team-best six assists in the game.
Up Next: The Cougars will close out the road trip at Fresno Pacific on Saturday, Dec. 3rd. Tip off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and you can watch live HERE.
