CHICO, Calif. – In a November showdown of West Region favorites, Azusa Pacific opened the season against an all-too-familiar foe, dropping a 77-70 decision to Chico State Friday evening inside Acker Gymnasium. Ethan Speaker led the Cougars in scoring in his debut game for the program with 16 points.
How It Happened: Azusa Pacific scored their first four points of the season from the free throw line, and took a 10-5 lead just six minutes into the contest. That would be the largest lead of the night for the visitors, though, as the Wildcats–who are the preseason favorites in the CCAA–clamped down on defense, allowing the Cougars to make just two shots from the field over a stretch of more than nine minutes, keeping the game at their pace before a Ken West three-pointer tied the game at 18-18. Chico was able to maintain a narrow lead for the rest of the first half, though Speaker cut the lead to a single point with a jump shot just before the halftime buzzer, with Chico State ahead 27-26.
Speaker continued to make his presence felt in the second half, and following a free throw five minutes into the second half, he had given the Cougars a 37-36 lead. That would prove to be the Cougars' last advantage of the night, as Chico State went on a 10-3 run to take the lead, and then a 13-4 run shortly thereafter that would stretch the lead to a dozen with just over six minutes remaining. While the Cougars were able to keep getting to the free throw line and keep the lead from expanding any further, they were unable to get closer than seven points the rest of the way.
By the Numbers: Speaker had a team-high 16 points and 9 rebounds in the contest. He was joined in double figures by West, who had 15 points; and Bryce Sloan, who scored 14 while dishing out 5 assists. The Cougars were able to stay close by earning 33 free throws on the night, making 24 of them. The Cougars were unable to overcome 19 turnovers on the night, which the Wildcats were able to convert into 20 points. Azusa Pacific was held to 40% shooting as a team, including just 6-21 from beyond the arc. Chico State has won the season-opening contest between the two schools three years in a row, after Azusa Pacific had won the first five meetings between the two programs.
Up Next: Azusa Pacific (0-1) will have a quick turnaround as they will be right back out on the Chico State floor Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m., taking on another CCAA rival in Cal Poly Pomona. The game can be seen live on the CCAA Network, and livestats will be available HERE.
