SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — In the third matchup between Azusa Pacific and Point Loma this season, it was the Cougars that got the last laugh after Ken West's game-winning three with four seconds to go helped the Cougars win 66-64.

With the win, Azusa Pacific advances to the second round of the NCAA West Regional and will face No. 8 seed Alaska Fairbanks who upset the No. 1 seed Cal State San Marcos. The Nanooks made the regional after running the table in the GNAC Tournament despite finishing 10th in their conference in the regular season.

West and Terrence Becvar each hit clutch three-pointers in the final minute to give their team the lead as both finished in double figures. Becvar had a team-high eight rebounds and three assists while Hayden Gray posted 12 points and four rebounds as well.

How it Happened: After a back-and-forth first eight minutes of the game, the two teams were knotted up at 15-apiece with 12 minutes to go in the first half. The Cougars' 14-3 run saw them grab control of the first half as Gray capped off the run with a pair of triples and a layup putting his team ahead 29-18.

Point Loma would respond with a 14-5 run that included a buzzer-beating three-pointer just before the half to get them within one basket, 34-32.

West started the second half with an and-one to put the Cougars up five but the Sea Lions would take the lead back after a 7-0 run. After an Azusa Pacific timeout, the bench sparked the Cougars back into the lead. 

Over the next three minutes, Azusa Pacific would convert five straight field goals to take a 47-40 lead. Becvar and Robertson each hit triples while Sasha French knocked down a pair of layups as a part of the run. Another and-one from West with 12 minutes to go put the Cougars up 50-43.

The Cougars bench brought the advantage to eight before Point Loma's 11-0 run gave them a 58-55 lead with just four minutes left in the game. 

Turning Point: Becvar's triple from the corner with under four to play tied the ballgame at 58-apiece. Trailing 60-59 under two minutes to play, Allan McBride came up big for Azusa Pacific with a huge transition block on PacWest Player of the Year Kaden Anderson who was on a breakaway before McBride was fouled on the defensive rebound. He would knock down one of two to tie the game at 60-apiece.

A missed three from the Sea Lions gave the Cougars a chance to take the lead with under a minute remaining. Becvar came off a screen and pulled up for three catching nothing but the bottom of the net giving Azusa Pacific a 63-60 lead with 38 seconds left.

Anderson would cap off his game-high 32 points with a three of his own at the other end to tie it up at 63-63 with just 22 seconds remaining. Out of a Cougars timeout, Gray found West on the wing who rose up and hit the biggest shot of the night, the go-ahead three giving his team a 66-63 lead with four seconds left. The Cougars would go on to win 66-64 after Point Loma's final effort off an offensive rebound was no good.

By the Numbers: The Cougars bench produced 34 points dominating the category once again (34-17) while also outrebounding Point Loma 35-33. Each team was within a percentage point in field goal percentage and three-point percentage as both teams shot around 40% from the field and 35% from downtown. Azusa Pacific held Point Loma to 4-of-15 from beyond the arc in the first half (27%).

Up Next: The Cougars will take on No. 8 seed Alaska Fairbanks Saturday, March 13th at 7:30 p.m. in the second round of the NCAA West Regional with a Sweet 16 berth on the line. To watch the game visit this link, or follow along with live stats here.

POSTGAME INTERVIEW: Ken West, head coach Peter Bond, Terrence Becvar