EUGENE, Ore. – For the second time this season, Azusa Pacific fought the four-time national champion Ducks to the bitter end, falling by a final score of 273.785-269.045 Friday evening inside Matthew Knight Arena.  The Cougars ended the regular season with a record of 4-3.

How It Happened:  The Cougars were on the back foot all evening after Oregon scored a decisive 2.5-point win on compulsory acro, the very first heat of the night.  While the Cougars tied the Ducks with a 9.70 in the pyramid heat, the second-ranked Ducks were ahead by just shy of three points at the conclusion of the compulsory event.  Jacie Van de Zilver and Madiha Morris worked their usual magic on the 5-element acro heat, matching Oregon with a 9.85, but the Ducks again extended their lead in the event overall, winning the other two heats and adding over a point to their overall lead.

From there, the teams were just about even the rest of the night.  Both sides brought their A-game in the pyramid event, with the lowest score for either team across the six heats being a 9.85.  The Cougars got their first heat win of the evening immediately after halftime, taking the 450 Salto toss with a 9.80, though Oregon again won the other two heats to slightly add to their edge.  Azusa Pacific would finally break through with a narrow win in the tumbling event.  The Cougars took three of the six tumbling heats, with the highest score in the event coming courtesy of a 9.80 by Van de Zilver in the 6-element pass.  The trio of Maria Hurst, Morgan Wagnitz, and Abbigale Cortez also won their tumbling pass despite having a start value that was a quarter of a point lower than their opponents.  The team event was neck-and-neck as well, with Oregon prevailing in the event by less than two-tenths of a point, 92.36-92.17.

By the Numbers:  Oregon remains undefeated at home all-time against the Cougars, and have won the last three meetings overall.  Tonight's meet took place on the ninth anniversary of the Cougars' first-ever win over the Ducks back in 2014.  Azusa Pacific finished the regular season with a record of 4-3, but were ranked third in the most recent NCATA national poll.

Up Next:  The next stop for Azusa Pacific will be the NCATA National Championships at West Liberty University in Wheeling, West Virginia, which will take place from April 27-30.  The eight-team field as well as at-large event finals qualifiers will be announced on Monday, April 17.