LUBBOCK, Texas - No. 12 Azusa Pacific settled for a split of its weekend at the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic, as the Cougars fell to West Texas A&M by a 70-63 score.

Amayah Kirkman paced the Cougars offensively with 18 points, while Molly Whitmore tallied 17 points and seven rebounds, and Paige Uyehara was the third Cougar in double figures at 10 points, while also dishing out four assists and recording two steals. 

How It Happened: Following the first two quarters of play, Azusa Pacific looked to be in a position to grab its second win of the weekend, with the halftime scoring being a 37-24 tally in favor of the Cougars. In the first quarter, the Cougars had the hot hand offensively, shooting 7-for-11 from the floor, including 3-for-5 from distance. 

Through the first six minutes of the third quarter, the Cougars maintained a lead of three possessions or more. After a Uyehara layup made it 50-38 with 4:17 to go in the quarter, West Texas A&M went on a 7-0 run to make it a one possession game at 50-47 with about 90 seconds to go in the period. Whitmore broke the Cougars' scoreless streak with a layup to send Azusa Pacific into the final 10 minutes with a 52-47 advantage.

Turning Point: With just under seven minutes to play, Whitmore knocked down a jumper that put the Cougars up 58-55, but Azusa Pacific would be held scoreless for nearly five minutes, as the Buffaloes went on a 9-0 run to grab their first lead of the contest (59-58, 5:20) and stretch it out to 63-58. The late run was enough to hold off the Cougars, as West Texas A&M would maintain the lead for the remainder of the contest.

By the Numbers: After shooting above 60% in the first quarter, and 40% in the second quarter, the Cougars shot below 30% in both of the quarters in the second half. Overall, Azusa Pacific shot 36% from the floor, and 7-for-24 (29%) from three. West Texas A&M received a huge boost from its bench, with the Buffaloe reserves accounting for 18 points. West Texas A&M outrebounded the Cougars 45-38, and while the Buffaloes grabbed just one more offensive rebound (11-10), West Texas A&M scored 12 second chance points while the Cougars did not register any second chance points.

Up Next: The Cougars will be back in action this upcoming weekend, with two games against CCAA opponents in a tournament hosted by Cal Poly Pomona. The Cougars will take on the host on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 pm, followed by a Saturday matchup against Cal State San Marcos at 5:00 pm.