HONOLULU, Hawai'i – The Cougars ran their winning streak to six games in a dominant 88-47 victory over Chaminade Friday evening inside McCabe Gymnasium. Paige Uyehara had 21 points, which brought her to 1,003 in her Azusa Pacific career.
How It Happened: The Cougars led from start to finish, and a big part of that was running the offense through their junior point guard. Uyehara had 11 points in the first quarter as the visitors built a 17-10 lead in the opening frame. The game would be busted open with a 13-2 blitz to open the second, with Uyehara's 1,000th point coming on her fourth three-pointer of the contest from the left corner near the midway point of the second. The junior became the second Cougar to crack the 1,000 point barrier this season, joining forward Molly Whitmore, who accomplished the feat in the Cougars' most recent home game against Holy Names. In all, Azusa Pacific would dominate the middle quarters by a combined score of 49-24, collecting their tenth consecutive win over a Hawaiian opponent, and six in a row in Hawai'i.
Inside the Numbers: All 11 Cougars scored in the contest, with five reaching double figures. In addition to Uyehara's 21 points, TyLee Manuel also had 10 among the starters. Off the bench, Lauren Jones scored 11, while Kayden Casey and Amayah Kirkman each chipped in with 10, contributing to a 43-16 advantage in bench scoring on the evening. As a team, the Cougars made 36 shots from the field, tying a season high. On the glass, the Cougars collected a season-best 20 offensive rebounds, which they converted into 23 second-chance points. Azusa Pacific has never lost in 15 all-time matchups against the Silverswords, including 8-0 at McCabe Gymnasium, which will host this season's PacWest Conference Tournament.
Up Next: The Cougars, who improved to 16-3 on the season and 11-1 in PacWest play with the win, now head home to prepare for the latest installment of the Cornerstone Cup as they will host Biola on Wednesday evening at 5:15 p.m. The game can be livestreamed HERE.
