AZUSA, Calif. – The Cougars came up short in a battle of the top two teams in the PacWest, falling to Point Loma 73-61 Saturday evening inside the Felix Event Center. Bryce Sloan led four Cougars in double figures with 12 points off the bench.

How It Happened: The Cougars scored on their first two trips down the floor; and after a Nate Kleppe three, the home team enjoyed their largest lead of the game at 10-5 four minutes into the game. That would be the high-water mark for the Cougars, as Point Loma held Azusa Pacific to just a single made field goal over the next 10 minutes of game time, going on a 24-3 run that gave the Sea Lions a commanding 16-point advantage at 29-13. While the Cougars would themselves go on a 9-0 run following this, Point Loma responded in kind, hitting a three just before halftime to give the Sea Lions a 12-point lead at intermission.

George Reidy made a three for the first points of the second half, but Point Loma would score the next eight, and the Cougars would not get within single digits again.  The Sea Lions would knock down 16 three-point shots in the game–the most the Cougars have allowed since February of 2021–shooting 50% from beyond the arc.  Point Loma would lead by as many as 23 in the second half before a late Cougar run cut the final margin back to a dozen.

By the Numbers: Besides Sloan's dozen points, Reidy, Kleppe, and Ken West each scored 11 for the Cougars. Reidy also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, while Hayden Gray handed out six assists. The Cougars shot 9-12 at the line as a team, and the Cougars' bench outscored their Sea Lion counterparts, 19-16.

Up Next: Azusa Pacific (8-3, 3-1 PacWest) will not play at home again until January, but will go on a two-game road trip to the Bay Area next weekend. The trip will start with a visit to San Francisco on Saturday against Academy of Art at 3:30 p.m.  Livestats and video will be available HERE.