ATHERTON, Calif. - Azusa Pacific dropped its opening game of PacWest play at Academy of Art by a final score of 89-65 on Thursday night. Ken West led the offensive effort for the Cougars, collecting 14 points in the loss.

How it Happened: Azusa Pacific found themselves trailing 10-5 to open the first half, but a 9-0 scoring run courtesy of three-pointers from West, Bryce Sloan and Michael Saba gave the Cougars a 14-10 advantage. The Urban Knights then went on a scoring run themselves to take the lead back, but the Cougars tied it at 24 a piece after another three-pointer from West. George Reidy followed, knocking down one from beyond-the-arc to give the Cougars a 27-26 lead with four minutes left in the first half. 

This lead was the last that the Cougars would hold, as Academy of Art ended the half with a 42-31 lead. 

Academy of Art went on a 16-0 scoring run to take a 58-33 advantage, breaking open the scoring to start the second half. Azusa Pacific struggled to find its footing offensively through the entirety of the half, but attempted to claw their way back, scoring 24 points in the final 10 minutes. Though, the effort was not enough as the Cougars dropped their first PacWest game of the season to the Urban Knights by a final score of 89-65.

Up Next: Azusa Pacific will continue action in the Bay Area, facing Dominican on Saturday, December 9th. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and you can watch HERE.