NAMPA, ID. - Azusa Pacific dropped its second game of the NNU Invitational 81-47 to Central Washington on Saturday afternoon. Kaleb Taylor led the scoring for the Cougars with 10 points while Ken West collected nine. Trevan Martin also had five rebounds and four different Cougars came up with a steal in the game.

How it Happened: The Cougars jumped out to a strong start, leading through the first eight minutes of play. Bryce Sloan kicked off the scoring for Azusa Pacific, scoring the first three points before West followed with a three pointer and Michael Saba secured a layup to take an 8-2 lead. Nashawn Holmes then collected a shot from beyond-the-arc and West followed with a jumper to give the Cougars a 13-4 advantage. Central Washington began to claw their way back and eventually tied the game at 13 a piece. 

Azusa Pacific regained the lead at 16-14 with a three pointer from George Reidy and then quickly gained another lead at 18-16 after the Wildcats tied it. That was the last lead Azusa Pacific would hold for the entirety of the game as the Wildcats pressed on offensively. Central Washington ended the first half with a 41-28 advantage. 

Central Washington's offense controlled the entire second half as they scored 40 points compared to Azusa Pacific's 19. Azusa Pacific attempted to fight their way back with help from West and Taylor offensively, but the Wildcat's defense held the Cougars at bay.  

By the Numbers: Central Washington shot 60% from field goal range and 37.5% from beyond-the-arc, compared to Azusa Pacific's 36.4 FG% and 16.7 3PT%. The Wildcats scored 19 points off of 11 Cougar turnovers compared to Azusa Pacific's four points off nine Central Washington turnovers. Both teams matched up pretty evenly in second chance points with the Wildcats having six compared to the Cougars five. 

Up Next: Azusa Pacific will return to action on December 7th when they open PacWest play at Academy of Art. Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.