LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Cougars fought back from a slow start and almost escaped, but were knocked off at the last second by Cal State Los Angeles, falling 74-73 Friday evening at University Gymnasium.
Kelly Heimburger scored 30 points, including what almost ended up the game-winner.
How It Happened: Azusa Pacific struggled to get the offense going in the first quarter, at one point going more than seven minutes without a point as the Golden Eagles jumped out to a 16-4 lead. Despite missing 10 of their first 12 shots, the Cougars got back into the game with the final three baskets of the quarter, cutting the deficit to 16-10 after one.
The second quarter saw the cold snap continue as the Cougars missed their first 10 attempts from the field. The defense kept it close, but while the Cougars climbed within three points several times in the quarter, they never could draw even, and a couple of Golden Eagle baskets late in the half gave them a seven-point advantage going into the locker rooms at 32-25.
Both offenses picked up the pace in the third quarter, including the first free throws for either team in the contest. Again, the Cougars were unable to pull even, with Cal State Los Angeles shooting 8-13 from the field and making eight free throws. The Golden Eagles once again pulled away late in the quarter and stretched the lead to double figures for the first time since that initial 16-4 outburst, leading by 10 going into the final quarter.
Azusa Pacific had to dig deep if they were going to have any chance of a comeback down the stretch, and they found their reserves in the form of the pressing defense they have been working on in the early part of the season. The Cougars forced nine turnovers in the final quarter of the game, but they still found themselves trailing by seven with four minutes remaining. But they would go on an 8-2 run to cut the lead to a single point.
After trading threes, the Cougars had the ball with 20 seconds to play. Heimburger got the ball, dribbled out to the top of the arc, then beat her defender down the left side of the lane for a layup to give the visitors their first lead since 4-2 with five seconds remaining. But that was enough time for the Golden Eagles to draw up a layup of their own to recapture the lead, and
Amayah Kirkman's last-second attempt was blocked to end the contest.
By the Numbers: Heimburger's 30 points are a career high, and she also led the team with 8 rebounds and 4 blocks. Kirkman scored 14 and had 4 steals, while
Audrey Sayoc also had 4 steals to go with a career-best 12 assists. The Cougars forced 27 turnovers in the game, which they converted into 27 points. Cal State Los Angeles has won two straight in the regular season against the Cougars, who avenged last season's defeat in the first round of the NCAA tournament. In between those two losses to the Golden Eagles, the Cougars had won 30 out of 31 games. Azusa Pacific still leads the all-time series 13-8.
Up Next: Azusa Pacific (5-1) will take Thanksgiving week off before starting conference play with a four-game road trip. Its next scheduled game will be at Menlo on December 5th, with tipoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Atherton.
