SEATTLE, Wash. – The Cougars secured an 88-77 victory over the Western Washington Vikings on Friday afternoon, highlighted by
Audrey Sayoc's 22-point performance.
How It Happened: The game began as a tightly contested battle. Western Washington jumped ahead to a quick 8-point lead, but Azusa Pacific slowly chipped into the deficit, closing the first quarter up 20-17, thanks to a 3-pointer by
Lauren Jones. The Vikings fought back in the second, briefly regaining a lead, but Sayoc's shooting and
Kelly Heimburger's presence in the paint helped the Cougars regain control, entering halftime tied at 37.
The third quarter continued to be a close game, as neither team led by more than 5 for 8 straight minutes. Azusa Pacific broke the game open in the quarter's closing minutes, highlighted by Sayoc's three-pointers and efforts from
Rachel Roderick,
Kelly Heimburger, and
Amayah Kirkman. The Cougars entered the final quarter with a 9-point tilt.
The fourth quarter saw Western Washington make a final push as the Vikings were able to cut Azusa Pacific's lead to two points midway through the quarter, but the Cougars responded with a decisive 10-2 run. Sayoc buried back-to-back three-pointers and Heimburger added a layup through contact to reestablish a comfortable cushion. Defensively, the Cougars forced turnovers on consecutive possessions to deny the Vikings a chance to make a comeback. Sayoc capped off her night with a final three-pointer with 12 seconds left to put an exclamation point on the Cougar's win.
By the Numbers: The Cougars shot 47.8% from the field and 48.1% from three-point range, with Sayoc leading the way. Heimburger chipped in 17 points, four assists, and three rebounds, while Kirkman added 13 points and nine rebounds.
Lauren Jones contributed 11 points, including back-to-back threes in the last quarter. The Cougars' defense forced 19 turnovers, converting them into 23 points, and found success through their bench, who combined for 21 points, led by Sabrina Belquis's 8.
Up Next: Azusa Pacific improves to 3-0 on the season and looks to continue its winning streak. The Cougars are back on the court in Seattle on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 6:00 p.m., where they will face Seattle Pacific.
