SEATTLE, Wash. -  Azusa Pacific fell in its opening game of the weekend at the PacWest/GNAC Challenge. The Cougars were beaten by host Seattle Pacific 86-82, and Azusa Pacific is now 1-2 to start the season.

Four Cougars finished in double figures scoring, paced by Bryce Sloan's 22 point effort. In addition to his scoring, Sloan had five steals and four assists. Ethan Speaker had 19 points and three steals, Ken West added 14 points and grabbed six rebounds, and George Reidy tallied 11 points, five rebounds, two steals and a block. 

How It Happened: Through much of the first half, the contest was a one or two possession affair, with Seattle Pacific holding the lead for the majority of the action. With a minute and a half remaining before the halftime break, Speaker knocked down a triple that got the Cougars within three points at 35-32. On the Falcons' next trip down the floor, Jadin Penigar hit a jump shot to put the Falcons up 37-32, and the shot was the start of a 6-1 run over the remainder of the half, which allowed Seattle Pacific to take a 42-33 advantage in the intermission.

For the first 15 minutes of the second half, the Falcons maintained a lead of 10 or more, and the Cougars faced a deficit as large as 18 points on several different occasions, with the latest instance being at 68-50 with just over seven minutes to play. Over the next three minutes of action, the Cougars went on an 11-0 run, with eight points coming from Sloan and three from Speaker, which allowed Azusa Pacific to pull within seven points at 68-61 with 4:04 to play.

While the Cougars showed late signs of life, the Falcons limited the Cougars' momentum, and the hosts held a lead of two or more possessions for the remainder of the game. 

By the Numbers: After Seattle Pacific posted an 18-6 advantage on points in the paint in the first half, the Cougars attacked in the lane in the second half, racking up 28 points in the paint to just 10 for the Falcons over the course of the second half. The Cougars also clawed their way back into the contest by forcing Seattle Pacific into 12 turnovers in the second half, which Azusa Pacific turned into 18 points off of turnovers. The Cougars valued possession throughout the contest, committing just seven turnovers overall. On the glass, Seattle Pacific outrebounded the Cougars by a 38-25 margin. Seattle Pacific shot nearly 54% from the floor overall, including 11-for-22 from deep, while the Cougars finished at 48% overall, and 8-for-20 from beyond-the-arc. 

Up Next: The Cougars will have their opportunity to bounce back tomorrow, when they take on Western Washington at 5:00 pm in Seattle.