ATHERTON, Calif. - Azusa Pacific wasted no time getting itself into the win column in PacWest play, defeating Academy of Art by a 78-56 score in a game played on a neutral court at Menlo College. With the win, the Cougars are now 7-3 overall, and 1-0 in conference action.
Four Cougars scored in double figures, led by 18 points from
Amayah Kirkman, who also collected seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Kelly Heimburger tallied 17 points, six rebounds and four assists.
TyLee Manuel nearly recorded a double-double, as she ended the contest with 16 points and nine rebounds. She shared the team-high in rebounds with
Lauren Jones, who came off of the bench to record six offensive rebounds in just 18 minutes of action.
Sabrina Belquist added 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals.
Audrey Sayoc was in the starting lineup for the first time in her collegiate career, and she dished out seven assists from the point guard position.
How It Happened: The Cougars never trailed in the game, as Heimburger notched the first points of the game to make it 2-0 with 8:38 to go in the first quarter. The Cougars' first double-digit lead came at 19-9 (3:51 1st), and they would take a 25-14 advantage into the second. Heimburger and Kirkman led the way for the Cougars in the opening 10 minutes, as they each scored nine points in the first.
With just over seven minutes to go before halftime, a Heimburger triple made it 32-21 Cougars, and Azusa Pacific's lead remained in double digits for the entirety of the contest. At the intermission, Azusa Pacific was in front by a 39-26 tally.
The Cougars created separation over the course of the third quarter, out-scoring the Urban Knights 26-15. Azusa Pacific shot 60% from the floor in the quarter, converting on 12 of 20 attempts, highlighted by 20 points in the paint. Manuel went 5-for-6 in the third, scoring 10 points.
Azusa Pacific's largest lead of the game was 67-41 with 9:28 to play in the fourth. The Urban Knights would get no closer than 20 points over the final quarter.
By the Numbers: The Cougars were dominant on the glass, out rebounding Academy of Art by a 52-33 margin, including a 23-9 advantage in offensive rebounding. The Cougars' 23 offensive rebounds in the most by the program since the 2019-20 season, when Azusa Pacific had 24 against Hawai'i Pacific. The constant effort and energy on the offensive glass allowed the Cougars to overcome a relatively off night shooting the ball, as they went 33-for-82 overall (40%), and 8-for-31 from three (26%). Azusa Pacific also posted significant advantages in points in the paint (40-24), second chance points (15-5), and fastbreak points (26-3).
Up Next: The Cougars will visit Dominican this Saturday (Dec. 9). The Penguins enter the matchup with a 6-1 record. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 pm in San Rafael.
