Honolulu, HI – Backed by four consecutive free throws to seal the win, Azusa Pacific defeated Hawai'i Pacific 81-75 on Thursday night.

The Cougars' last meeting with the Sharks came in the PacWest tournament quarterfinals in March, when they edged No. 3 Hawai'i Pacific 56-55 as the No. 6 seed. That team, which went on to win the conference title and reach the NCAA Tournament, looked vastly different from Thursday's squad.

Gone are former leading scorers Ken West and Bryce Sloan, but new stars like Charlie Gehler, who scored 21 points, and Maui Sze, who added 16 points and six assists, have stepped up in a big way all season long.

With five straight victories after a 4-6 start, Azusa Pacific imoproves to 9-6 overall and 4-3 in PacWest play. And while the Cougars still sit in fifth overall in the PacWest standings, the win over fourth place Hawai'i Pacific certainly helped their chances of moving up, especially as they prepare to face 11-4, 5-3 Chaminade on Saturday.

How it Happened: Setting the tone early, Sze knocked down the first triple of the team's 13 across the night, before getting a steal and handing it off to Trevan Martin for a fastbreak layup, tying the game 5-5 early in the first half.

For a stretch of the first half, it seemed like no one missed from behind the rainbow. Gehler and Saba knocked down back to back triples to give the Cougars its first lead of the game before Hawai'i Pacific had a triple of his own. Gehler had another good three-pointer followed by one from Jordan Hansen, the team's leading three-point shooter, which eventually stretched Azusa Pacific's lead to 20-13. 

Gehler knocked down two more triples helping the Cougars to keep a double-digit lead for most of the first half. Azusa Pacific entered halftime with a 44-34 lead, after holding a 13-point lead at one point.

Despite a quick start to the second half from Hawai'i Pacific, with two separate five-point runs early, the Cougars continued to respond. A key three-pointer from Sze and an 8-0 run pushed Azusa Pacific's lead back to double digits. But Hawai'i Pacific wasn't done yet, cutting the lead to just four with an 11-1 run with 4:21 left on the clock.

After a timeout from Azusa Pacific, Saba crashed the glass for a slam dunk and Sze knocked down a free-throw to give the Cougars a seven-point cushion with three minutes remaining.

Continuing the fight, Hawai'i Pacific knocked down four straight free-throws capped off by a layup to shorten Azusa Pacific's lead to 75-74.

In the last minute, Kaleb Taylor grabbed a critical offensive board before slamming it down, giving the Cougars an energetic boost. Hawai'i Pacific answered with a free throw, but Charlie Gehler and Maui Sze each sank two free throws to seal the 81-75 victory.

By the Numbers: Azusa Pacific shot with precision all night long, shooting 30-for-59 from the field (50.8%) which featured 13-for-23 from the three-point line tying their season-high for most triples in a single game. The team also finished with a season-low six turnovers while forcing the Sharks to nine turnovers.

A strength for the Cougars all season has been the production of contributed by its bench players. Azusa Pacific's bench continues to shine, as four reserves—led by Gehler's 21 points and Michael Saba's 12—combined for an impressive 49 points, outscoring the starters (39 points).

Up Next: Azusa Pacific (9-6, 4-3) will wrap up its trip to Hawai'i with a final game this weekend against Chaminade. The Cougars will seek to extend their winning streak during Saturday's matchup set for 2:00 PM HST / 4:00 PM PST.