AZUSA, Calif. – The Cougars put together their most complete game of the season Saturday evening, defeating the Chaminade Silverswords by a 96-69 final inside the Felix Event Center. Ken West scored a career-high 32 points in the victory.
How It Happened: It took the home team a few minutes to find their feet, as Chaminade opened hot from the outside and actually took a 13-4 lead just three and a half minutes into the contest. The Cougars battled back, spreading the offensive wealth around, taking their first lead of the game at 17-16. The Silverswords responded with another three to reclaim the lead with 11:28 left in the first half at 19-17.
Turning Point: That long ball was the last shot Chaminade would make from the field for the next eight minutes of game time, during which Azusa Pacific took over the contest. Trevan Martin tied the game with a layup, George Reidy gave the Cougars the lead for good with a pair of free throws, and then West drained consecutive three-pointers, starting what would eventually snowball into a 26-2 run before all was said and done. The Cougars made five triples during the run, and West personally went 4-4 from the field, putting up 11 points in the process. The senior forward would cap the half with his fifth triple of the evening, putting the Cougars up 53-32 at intermission and having scored 25 points in the opening 20 minutes on 8-9 shooting.
The teams traded baskets in the early part of the second half before Reidy slammed the door shut, putting up seven points by himself as part of a 12-2 run that pushed the Cougars' lead to 30. West's final basket of the night was his sixth three that gave the home side their largest lead of the contest at 88-53.
Inside the Numbers: West put up 32 points on just 15 shots in the game. It is the second time this season that a Cougar has set a career high with 32 points, after Bryce Sloan did the same against Point Loma in December. He was joined in double figures by Reidy (17 points, 6 rebounds), Ethan Speaker (15 points, 8 rebounds), and Sloan (12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists). The Cougars converted 12 turnovers into 21 points, and enjoyed a 34-20 advantage in points in the paint. Azusa Pacific shot 63% from the field in the first half and 52.4% for the game, making a season-high 15 three-pointers. Azusa Pacific has won the last six games head-to-head against the Silverswords–a streak during which the Cougars have averaged 83.8 points per game–and now lead the all-time series 14-6.
Up Next: Azusa Pacific (4-9, 3-3 PacWest) will look to win their third straight game on this homestand when they host Westmont on Wednesday. Tipoff inside the Felix Event Center is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW: GEORGE REIDY & KEN WEST
