AZUSA, Calif. - Azusa Pacific was defeated by Hawai'i Pacific 70-67 in a narrow loss in the Felix Event Center on Thursday evening. Ken West led the offense for the Cougars, scoring 19 points, while Michael Saba, George Reidy and Ethan Speaker joined him in double-digits.
How it Happened: Azusa Pacific opened the game on a 5-0 run courtesy of a dunk by Reidy and a three-pointer by West, but the Sharks grabbed the lead after, which they held for the rest of the first half. The Cougars headed into the second half trailing 32-21 after shooting just 20.59 % from the field.
Azusa Pacific attempted to claw their way back early in the second half, making it a 10 point game on three occasions. With 10:21 to go, a jumper by Saba began to close the scoring gap at 51-45 still in favor of the Sharks. West and Bryce Sloan followed with back-to-back jumpers to make it a 53-49 game.
With two minutes left, a 6-0 run made it a one point game at 59-58, but Hawai'i Pacific then extended the lead by five. A jumper by Sloan made it 66-62, but a pair of made free throws extended the lead to six.
Then a layup by Reidy closed the scoring margin to four, but the Sharks took advantage of their opportunities at the free throw line, extending their lead to 70-64. With two seconds left, West was able to get a three-point shot off, but there was no time left on the clock for the Cougars to work with as they fell to Hawai'i Pacific by a final score of 70-67.
By the Numbers: After shooting 20.59% (7-for-34) in the first half, the Cougars turned it around and shot 54.84% (17-for-31) in the second half, ending the game shooting 36.9% as a team. West and Sloan each collected six rebounds, while West also had three steals in the contest.
Up Next: Azusa Pacific's final home game will be this Saturday, February 24th when they host Concordia at 6:30 p.m. for Homecoming weekend. Before the game, the team will also recognize its five seniors including West, Sloan, Reidy, Allan McBride and Nate Kleppe. Be sure to come out and support the Cougars!
