FRESNO, Calif. - Azusa Pacific capped off an undefeated 20-game conference schedule with a dominant win over second-place Fresno Pacific, as the three-time defending regular season champions not only beat the Sunbirds by a 59-35 score, but the Cougars held the Sunbirds scoreless for the entire third quarter. It is the first time the Cougars have held an opponent scoreless for an entire quarter since four quarters were implemented across women's college basketball in 2015. Prior to the 2015-16 season, women's basketball played two, 20-minute halves.
With the win, Azusa Pacific wraps up the regular season with a 26-3 overall record, and a perfect 20-0 PacWest mark. The Cougars have now won 22 consecutive games.
Kelly Heimburger and
Amayah Kirkman led the way offensively and on the glass for the Cougars, with Heimburger scoring 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds, while Kirkman tallied 16 points and eight rebounds. Heimburger also had three blocks, while Kirkam recorded three steals.
Paige Uyehara dished out seven assists and had four steals, while
Sydney Hani came off the bench and collected seven rebounds.
How It Happened: There was little separation between the two teams after the first quarter of play, with the Cougars taking a 14-11 lead into the second. With six and a half minutes to go before halftime, the score was tied 18-18, from that point on, the Cougars took control, as they outscored the Sunbirds by an 18-4 margin over the remainder of the quarter to break open a 36-22 lead.
In the third, the Cougars held the Sunbirds to 0-for-14 shooting, including 0-for-5 from three. Azusa Pacific's lead hit 20 for the first time on a layup from Kirkman that made it 42-22, and Hani made it 44-22 with a last second layup to end the third. The lead remained at 20 or more for the remainder of the game, as the Cougars outscored Fresno Pacific by a 15-13 margin over the fourth.
By the Numbers: Azusa Pacific not only won the regular season title for the third-consecutive time, but the Cougars left no doubt about it. The Cougars clinched the title with three games left on the schedule, and with the win today, the championship was earned by a six-game difference. Fresno Pacific finished second with a 14-6 conference record, and the Cougars beat the Sunbirds by a combined score of 149-90 over two games this season.
Up Next: The Cougars' sights are now set on their next goal, which is a third-consecutive PacWest tournament title. The Cougars will be the top-seed at next week's tournament which will be hosted by Point Loma, March 7-9. The bracket will be posted to APUCougars.com on Monday.
