SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Azusa Pacific led almost wire-to-wire in a 76-65 victory over Dominican in the semifinals of the PacWest Tournament Friday night at Golden Gymnasium on the campus of Point Loma.
Paige Uyehara had a dominant performance at the point, putting up 23 points, 8 assists, and 5 steals in the win.
How It Happened: The Cougars trailed for all of 36 seconds early in the first quarter after an early Dominican three.
Molly Whitmore's first basket of the game put Azusa Pacific back in front, and the Cougars would use that to spark a 9-1 run to take control early. After the Penguins pulled back within three points, another 9-2 run by the Cougars would give them some breathing room and a 20-12 lead after the first quarter. Uyehara hit a three-pointer in the middle of that run to get on the scoreboard.
In the second,
Amayah Kirkman kept the offense functioning, scoring the Cougars' first six points of the frame during a defensive-minded early stretch. Another Uyehara long ball got the lead to double digits for the first time at 29-18, and the two sides would mostly trade baskets for the rest of the period, with the Cougars enjoying a nine-point advantage going into the locker rooms.
The third quarter was where the Cougars removed any lingering doubts, dominating on the defensive end and opening the half with a 15-3 run that spanned more than seven minutes of game time, a portion of which included forcing the Penguins into 12 consecutive misses from the field along with three turnovers. After Dominican finally broke that streak, the Cougars responded with Uyehara and
Sabrina Belquist making consecutive three balls to push the lead all the way to 24 points. Uyehara finished off the quarter by banking in a layup just before the buzzer to give the Cougars a 63-37 lead, and the top seed would coast in from there.
By the Numbers: Four of the five Cougar starters scored in double figures. Besides Uyehara's game-high 23, Whitmore had 13 points, Kirkman scored 11, and
TyLee Manuel added in 10. Whitmore grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds, while Manuel also collected 10. PacWest Player of the Year
Kelly Heimburger had 9 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. The Cougars enjoyed a 49-37 advantage on the boards and shot 42% for the game while holding the Penguins to 33.8%. This is the fifth consecutive PacWest Tournament in which Azusa Pacific will play in the championship game, and the sixth time overall. The Cougars are 3-2 all-time in in the final. A victory in the final would tie the records for most tournament titles (4) and most consecutive wins in the tournament (7), both currently held by Hawai'i Pacific.
Up Next: Azusa Pacific (27-3) will put their 23-game winning streak on the line as they go for a third-consecutive PacWest Tournament title when they take on Fresno Pacific Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. This is the Sunbirds' first appearance in the championship game, and the first time the two schools will meet in the tournament since the 2020 semifinals.
