AZUSA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific beat Holy Names by an 85-51 final on Saturday afternoon, improving the Cougars' overall record to 12-3, including 7-1 in conference action.
It was a memorable game for Molly Whitmore, as the forward scored the 1,001st point of her Azusa Pacific career on a layup midway through the fourth quarter. The bucket was Whitmore's final points of the game, as she led the Cougars with 20 points, while also grabbing a team-high 11 rebounds for the double-double. Whitmore is the 25th player in program history to score 1,000 points in a Cougar uniform.
Kayden Casey came off the bench and scored 12 points, finishing a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, including 3-for-3 from three-point range. Casey's 12 points sets a new career-high for the sophomore.
Alex Lowden and Lauren Jones also scored in double-figures, scoring 10 points apiece.
Kelly Heimburger was active on both ends of the floor, dishing out six assists while tallying four blocks and two steals.
How It Happened: Amayah Kirkman knocked down a three for the Cougars on the game's first possession, and Azusa Pacific would hold the lead for the rest of the afternoon. A three-pointer by Lowden with just under three minutes to play in the first quarter gave the Cougars their first double-digit lead of the contest at 17-7, and the opening quarter would come to an end with the hosts ahead 23-9.
The Cougars would continue to grow their lead over the second quarter, outscoring the Hawks by a 27-9 margin in the second period. At the halftime break, the Cougars held a 50-18 advantage. In the second, Azusa Pacific scored 10 field goals, of which eight were assisted on. The Cougars shot at a 63% clip in the quarter (10-for-16), and knocked down five of eight attempts from beyond-the-arc.
Azusa Pacific opened the third by stretching its lead out even further, and the games' largest score differential came with 5:43 left to play in period, as the Cougars had stretched its advantage up to 41 points at 61-20 on a pair of Heimburger free throws. While the Hawks would cut the deficit to under 40 on their next possession, the Cougars would maintain a lead of 30 or more for the remainder of the contest.
By the Numbers: The Cougars posted overwhelming advantages in rebounds (59-34) and bench points (32-15). All 10 players that played for Azusa Pacific scored in the game. Azusa Pacific finished 31-for-71 from the floor (44%), while it held Holy Names to just 27% at 20-for-74. The Cougars finished with 23 assists, which is their third-highest single game total of the season.
Up Next: After the two game homestand this past weekend, the Cougars will hit the road for four-consecutive conference matchups, starting with a trip down south to Point Loma on Wednesday, January 11. Azusa Pacific will then head out to Hawai'i for three games (Jan. 16-20). To see the full schedule, click here.
