HILO, Hawai'i – Azusa Pacific completed a sweep of their annual Hawaiian road trip with a 69-57 victory over Hawai'i Hilo Saturday evening on the Big Island.  Molly Whitmore led the way with 18 points and 6 rebounds as the 22nd-ranked Cougars ran their winning streak to 14 games in a row.

How It Happened:  Kelly Heimburger hit a three on the first possession of the game.  That would be about it for highlights in the opening quarter as Cougars were held to 5-16 from field in the opening 10 minutes, adjusting to the late afternoon lighting that had parts of the court bathed in sunlight.  The Vulcans, used to the building, were able to keep things close and had a 16-14 advantage after one.

The Cougars began working the ball inside to some success early in the second quarter.  Molly Whitmore opened the period with four points and three rebounds before having to head to the bench with her second foul.  Heimburger had all 12 of her points in the first half, allowing the visitors to hold onto a narrow 26-25 lead at intermission.

The third quarter again saw the Cougars start hot, opening on a 7-2 run, only to see the Vulcans fire back with a run of their own to tie the game at 37-37.  Whitmore scored 10 points in the quarter, allowing the Cougars to continue matching blow for blow.  With the game tied late in the period, TyLee Manuel scored on a putback with 45 seconds left in the quarter.  On the ensuing possession, Sabrina Belquist forced a turnover and raced the other way to put in a layup to give the Cougars a 49-45 lead after three.  Through the first three quarters, neither team led by more than six at any point.

That outburst at the end of the third put the Cougars ahead for good.  While the fourth quarter remained a battle, the Cougars clamped down on the defensive end and were able to hold the Vulcans to 5-15 from the field in the final 10 minutes.  While no single play sealed the game, Azusa Pacific was able to combine some timely baskets with a perfect 7-7 performance at the free throw line in the quarter to slowly pull away.

By the Numbers:  Whitmore had a team-high 18 points.  She was joined in double figures by her frontcourt mates Manuel (17 points) and Heimburger (12).  Manuel and Heimburger tied for the team high in rebounds with 7 each.  Belquist added 9 points off the bench, while Amayah Kirkman had 5 assists.  As a team, the Cougars shot 53.3% (16-30) from the field in the second half.  All those scoring from the forwards contributed to a 34-18 advantage on points in the paint for the visitors, who won in Hilo for the 8th consecutive time and lead the all-time series 15-1.  Over the past three years, including last season's PacWest Tournament, the Cougars have won 11 consecutive games played in the state of Hawai'i.

Up Next:  Azusa Pacific (18-3, 12-0 PacWest) returns home for a pair of games against Northern California opposition, starting on Thursday when they host Academy of Art.  Tipoff in the Felix Event Center is scheduled for 5:15 p.m.