ATHERTON, Calif. – Kelly Heimburger again carried the offense, but she wasn't alone as the Cougars received double-figure scoring from three starters in an 82-67 victory over Menlo Thursday evening to open PacWest play with a road win. Audrey Sayoc and Lauren Jones each chipped in with 16 points as the Cougars broke open a game that was tied at halftime.

How It Happened: Heimburger got off to a fast start, making her first three attempts from the field as the Cougars grabbed an early 9-4 lead in the opening minutes.  But the Oaks, playing their first conference game as a member of the PacWest, responded with aplomb, rallying back and hitting a late three-pointer to hold the lead after the opening quarter at 20-17. An 8-0 run by Menlo in the middle of the second quarter saw the home team snatch its largest advantage of the evening at 28-20, a lead they would match a couple more times in the ensuing possessions.

However, it was during that stretch when the Cougars' press began to make its mark on the game. Heimburger scored a layup off a steal from Rachel Roderick to cut the lead to six. After trading two free throws for a Heimburger three, another steal led to a Jones triple to get the Cougars within a basket. Another long ball from Heimburger gave the Cougars a brief one-point lead before a late Menlo free throw sent the teams into the locker room knotted at 38-38.

The defensive pressure continued to mount in the third quarter. Sayoc earned a steal and layup at the other end about two minutes into the quarter that would put the Cougars ahead for good, and the Cougars would come up with seven steals in the period, which they converted into 11 points at the offensive end. In all, the Cougars put up 31 points in the third to bust the game open, leading 71-58 after three and coasting in from there.

By the Numbers: The Cougars came up with 20 steals in the game, and in just the two middle quarters scored 25 points directly off Menlo turnovers. The team also grabbed 22 offensive rebounds, which led to a 20-4 advantage in second-chance points. Heimburger ended the game with 28 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Sayoc had 16 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Jones had 16 points and 3 steals. Amayah Kirkman and Sydney Hani each scored 9 points while grabbing at least 5 boards. In all, nine different Cougars had at least one steal in the game. Azusa Pacific remains perfect in three all-time matchups against Menlo, though this was the first meeting in 15 years.

Up Next: With their conference opener under their belt, Azusa Pacific (6-1, 1-0 PacWest) continue their trek through northern California when they visit Dominican on Saturday. Tipoff against the Penguins is set for 1:00 p.m.