Box Score SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Cougars built a big lead early, then held on down the stretch to complete a 4-0 road trip, outlasting the Westmont Warriors by a final of 72-65 Saturday evening inside Murchison Gymnasium.
Audrey Sayoc and
Kelly Heimburger tied for the team lead with 16 points in the victory.
How It Happened: The Cougar defense was in lockdown mode right from the opening tip, holding the Warriors scoreless on their first 10 trips down the floor and building a quick 12-0 lead. In all, Azusa Pacific forced Westmont into missing their first 10 shots from the field over the first five and a half minutes. The defense forced six turnovers in the opening quarter, converting them into nine points at the offensive end, which translated to a 12-point lead after the opening quarter.
Sayoc and Heimburger combined to hit three consecutive three-pointers early in the second quarter, part of a 14-0 run that stretched the lead all the way out to 35-9 three minutes into the period. The Cougars made five triples in the quarter, giving them eight for the game, and had turned 12 Westmont turnovers into 19 points en route to a 44-26 lead at the half.
Those points banked early came in handy as it was the Cougars' turn to be cold coming out of the locker room, making just two of their first 12 shots in the third and seeing the Warriors climb back within eight with about three minutes remaining in the quarter before finding their stroke again. An
Elyse Mitchell three, the Cougars' only made long distance attempt of the quarter, put the lead back into double digits, and it would remain at 11 heading into the fourth.
Mitchell proceeded to knock down another three to open that fourth quarter, and the Cougars quickly turned that into a 7-0 run in the opening minute to reassert their control of the game. While Westmont would slowly chip away, finally getting within six points in the closing minute, the Cougars were able to hold Westmont off for their 31st consecutive win against conference opposition.
By the Numbers: Azusa Pacific shot 51% in the first half, and importantly, made 11 three-point attempts on the night while holding Westmont to just 4-20 from beyond the arc. The Cougars needed those extra points as they only got to attempt two free throws over the first 39 minutes of the game.
Amayah Kirkman had a good outing, putting up 15 points and 8 rebounds, while Sayoc added to her 16 points with 8 assists and 3 steals. Points off turnovers proved to be the key statistic of the night, as while the Cougars only forced two more turnovers than they committed, they were able to convert their 17 opportunities into 23 points, while the Warriors only scored 7 points off their 15 chances. Azusa Pacific is 27-7 against Westmont since 2000, including the past four in a row.
Up Next: Azusa Pacific (9-1, 4-0 PacWest) will return home for one last nonconference game before the Christmas break as they host Nobel University, a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). Tipoff in the Felix Event Center is scheduled for Friday at 4:00 p.m.
