SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - No. 13 Azusa Pacific's 80-68 road win at Westmont on Wednesday night not only clinched at least a share of the PacWest title and improved the Cougars' record to 22-3 overall and 16-0 in PacWest play, but it was a historical one for head coach
T.J. Hardeman. The victory is the 400th win of Hardeman's coaching career at Azusa Pacific, which began during the 2007-08 season. With Hardeman leading the program, Azusa Pacific has gone 400-121 during his tenure, posting a winning percentage of .768.
Kelly Heimburger led the Cougar offense, scoring 22 points. She was joined in double figures by
Molly Whitmore, who scored 18 points,
Paige Uyehara, who added 17 points, and
Amayah Kirkman finished with 12 points. Uyehara also had six assists, while Kirkman dished out five.
How It Happened: Down by an 8-4 score early, the Cougars put together an 8-0 run to take a 12-8 lead with two and a half minutes to play in the first quarter. With just under 50 seconds to go in the quarter, Uyehara knocked down a triple to give the Cougars' their largest lead of the opening quarter at 18-10, which was the score going into the second.
Westmont would open the second quarter on a 7-0 run to make it 18-17, and while the game remained within one possession for nearly two minutes, another Uyehara triple made it 25-19, and the Cougar lead remained at two or more possessions for the remainder of the contest. Azusa Pacific took a lead as large as 11 points on four different occasions before halftime, including as late as 37-26 with a minute and a half before the break. At halftime, the Cougars held a 39-32 advantage.
Out of the break, the Warriors made the first shot of the third to bring the score to 39-35, but Azusa Pacific would respond with an 8-0 run to take a 47-34 lead. With just under three minutes to go in the third, a Heimburger jumper gave the Cougars their largest lead of the quarter at 53-38. Azusa Pacific maintained a double-digit lead for the remainder of the quarter, and entered the final 10 minutes of play up 55-45.
The fourth quarter was the highest scoring period for both teams, with the Cougars out-scoring the Warriors by a 25-23 margin. In the fourth, Azusa Pacific shot nearly 65% from the floor, finishing 11-for-17 in the quarter. The Cougars' took their largest lead of the game four times over the final 10 minutes, including a 19 point lead as late as 74-55 with 4:27 left on the clock.
By the Numbers: Azusa Pacific forced the Warriors into 19 turnovers, which the Cougars turned into 25 points off of turnovers. As has been the case all season, the Cougars once again did a tremendous job of creating opportunities for one another, with Azusa Pacific assisting on 22 of its 30 made field goals in the game. In addition to six assists by Uyehara and five by Kirkman,
TyLee Manuel and
Sabrina Belquist each added four assists. The Cougars, who are averaging over 15 offensive rebounds a game this season, once again attacked the offensive glass, grabbing 19 offensive rebounds and scoring 23 second chance points.
Hardeman's 400th: During the Cougars' 400-121 record over the Hardeman era, he has led the program to the 2011 NAIA national title, nine conference titles, two NCAA West Region titles, three PacWest Tournament titles, and 13 national postseason appearances. Through 16 seasons thus far, Hardeman has led the Cougars to a winning record every year, and Azusa Pacific has finished with 20 or more wins 12 times. Excluding the COVID-abbreviated season in 2020-21, Hardeman and the Cougars have won 20 or more games in six-consecutive seasons.
While the 400th win is already a memorable moment for Hardeman and his family, the location in which it occurred makes it all the more special, as the Hardeman family has deep ties to Westmont. Hardeman played his collegiate basketball at Westmont, where as a freshman he played for his father, Tine Hardeman. Along with his dad, who was a four-year letterman at Westmont in the mid-1950s, T.J.'s three younger siblings - Tom, Terri and Todd - also played basketball at Westmont. While Hardeman would play four seasons with the Warriors and earn a bachelor's degree, the greatest achievement of his time at the school was meeting his future wife, Cindy, who played volleyball for the Warriors. The Hardeman legacy would continue at Westmont, as one of their daughters, Katie, would also play four seasons of basketball at Westmont.
Up Next: Round two of the Cornerstone Cup is the next date on the Cougars' schedule this Saturday (Feb. 17), with a chance to clinch the PacWest title outright on their rival's court with a win. Tip-off at Biola is set for a 5:30 pm tip-off.
