AZUSA, Calif. - Azusa Pacific ran away with a 72-42 victory over Westmont on Wednesday evening, improving to 13-3 overall and 7-0 in PacWest play.
With 8:20 to play in the second quarter,
Kelly Heimburger scored the 1,000th-point of her Azusa Pacific career, knocking down a midrange jumper. Heimburger finished the contest with 12 points, raising her career total to 1,010 points. Over 92 games played in her career, Heimburger is averaging 10.9 points per game. Heimburger joins her teammates
Paige Uyehara and
Molly Whitmore in the program's 1,000 point club.
Heimburger was one of three Cougars to score in double figures in the game, as
TyLee Manuel scored a game-high 18 points, while Uyehara added 14 points.
Molly Whitmore grabbed 11 rebounds, and
Amayah Kirkman finished with 10 boards. Defensively, Heimburger had five blocks and five steals, and Whitmore tallied three steals.
How It Happened: While the Cougars took an eight point lead at 16-8 in the first quarter, the Warriors were able to keep the game from getting away. With just over six minutes to play before halftime, Westmont was able to knot the score at 19-19, and on the Warriors' ensuing possession, they regained the lead at 21-19.
The Warriors pushed the lead to 23-19, but the Cougars woke up in a big way with just over five minutes to go before half, as an
Audrey Sayoc triple made it 23-22 and it signaled the start of a 31-7 run for the Cougars over the next 14 minutes of play. With the run, the Cougars opened up a 20-point lead at 50-30 with a minute and a half to go in the third quarter.
From that point on, the Cougar lead remained at 16 or more, and the hosts were able to open up a lead as large as 32 points, which came at 72-40 with 2:19 left to play in regulation.
By the Numbers: The Cougars created separation off of their defensive intensity, forcing the Warriors into 25 turnovers, which they flipped into 38 points off of turnovers. Azusa Pacific also was able to attack time and time again in the lane, finishing with 38 points, while the Warriors had 20. In transition, the Cougars scored 19 fast break points, while Westmont did not score a fast break point in the contest. Both teams were aggressive on the offensive glass, with the Cougars posting a slight advantage in offensive rebounding at 21-19. Azusa Pacific matched its season high in assists, as they finished with 24 assists on 29 made field goals. Uyehara and Kirkman led the way with five assists each.
Up Next: The Cougars will now prepare for the first Cornerstone Cup matchup this season, with Biola scheduled to visit Azusa this Saturday, January 13, at 2:15 pm in the Felix Event Center.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW: KELLY HEIMBURGER & TYLEE MANUEL
