SEATTLE, Wash. – The Cougar men's basketball team started the season against a familiar foe, falling 66-58 to Cal Poly Pomona in a neutral-site game played at Seattle Pacific University.  Maui Sze had a productive debut for the Cougars, putting up 20 points and 8 assists in a losing effort.

How It Happened: Another fellow newcomer, Cal Poly Pomona transfer Chris Gayles, Jr., scored the first points of the season against his former team to open the game. That began a back-and-forth opening half in which the lead changed hands 10 times. The Broncos went on a 9-2 run to take their largest lead of the half at 17-11 eight minutes into the game. Sze immediately answered with a three to cut the deficit in half. In all, the Cougars' next five scores would all be from beyond the arc, the last of which gave them a 26-23 lead. Eventually, a buzzer-beating three from the Broncos would end the first half in a 33-all tie.

The second half picked up where the first had left off, as neither side led by more than four points until the very end. Six of the Cougars' nine second-half field goals were three-pointers, which kept them in it and regularly gave them small leads. But after Azusa Pacific committed four consecutive turnovers, a Broncos' layup with just under four minutes remaining caused the lead to change hands for the 19th and final time of the evening. All told, the Cougars made only one shot from the field over the final six minutes of the game.

By the Numbers: Sze had 20 points and 8 assists but also committed 8 of the Cougars' 19 turnovers in the game. Cal Poly Pomona was able to turn those 19 turnovers into 22 points at the other end, while the Cougars were only able to force 9 turnovers on defense themselves.  s a consequence of all the three-point shots the Cougars attempted, they only shot five free throws in the game and only made one of them. Among the other Cougar newcomers, Jordan Hansen added 12 points and 5 rebounds, while Gayles contributed 9 points and 3 assists. Ethan Speaker and Kaleb Taylor tied for the team rebounding lead with 8 apiece as the Cougars narrowly won the rebounding battle, 34-31. The Broncos now lead the all-time series against Azusa Pacific 30-19, though the Cougars had won five of the previous six meetings before tonight.

Up Next: Azusa Pacific (0-1) will wrap up the weekend set with a matchup against another perennial West Region contender in Chico State. The game against the Wildcats is set for 5:15 p.m. in Seattle.