IRVINE, Calif. – The conference title was there for the taking, but cold shooting down the stretch forced the Cougars to settle for second place as they fell 72-67 at Concordia Saturday night at the CU Arena in Irvine.  Justin Hemsley led the offense with 14 points on the evening, while Ken West added 13 and Hayden Gray had 11.

How It Happened:  The Cougars dug out of an early 8-2 hole four minutes in, going on a 19-6 run that spanned nine minutes of game time and included seven consecutive points by Ken West to give the Cougars their first lead of the night.  The Cougars continued to press the attack, and extended the lead to as much as nine in the first half at 25-16 before a Concordia run cut the deficit to just four points at intermission.  Azusa Pacific was able to get to the free-throw line, making six out of seven attempts in the first half without allowing a single shot at the defensive end, making up for a cold shooting touch from beyond the three point arc in the first 20 minutes (1-8).

The Cougars' outside shooting warmed up early in the second half, making four in the first six minutes as the team went on a 15-5 run to stretch out to their largest lead of the night at 53-41 with eleven minutes to play.  Following a layup by Gray, the lead was still in double figures at 62-52, forcing a Concordia timeout with 7:10 remaining..

Turning Point:  Concordia clamped down on defense down the stretch, closing the game on an 18-5 run and holding the Cougars to just 2-for-9 from the field with three turnovers over the final seven minutes of the game.  The Eagles took the lead for good with just over two minutes remaining.  Azusa Pacific had an opportunity to tie the game in the final 20 seconds, but a Hemsley three missed and Concordia was able to put the game out of reach with a final layup in the dying seconds.

By the Numbers:  Concordia was able to turn 10 Azusa Pacific turnovers into 18 points at the other end of the floor and had 23 assists on 29 made baskets.  Hemsley had a team-high six rebounds, while Gray had four boards and four assists.  The Cougars only gave up three free throw attempts on the night, but the Eagles compensated by making 13 three-point shots, which ties the most any Cougar opponent has made this season.

Up Next:  Azusa Pacific ends the regular season at 18-8, 15-4 in the PacWest, half a game behind Point Loma.  The Cougars will be the second seed at next week's PacWest Tournament at Fresno Pacific, where the winner will receive the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.  Azusa Pacific's quarterfinal game will take place at 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday against the seventh seed, likely Hawai'i-Hilo.  For further information, click HERE.