ROCKLIN, Calif. –  It was déjà vu for Jessup as the Cougars hit 11 three-pointers, following up their season-high 17 in the previous meeting between the two teams. After a nail-biter win in overtime last time, the Cougars sealed the win in regulation, earning a 74-57 victory on Saturday.

With two wins over Jessup this season, Azusa Pacific stays undefeated in the series, having previously dominated with a 116-38 win in 2000 and a 107-65 victory in 1988.

For the second straight game, Chris Gayles Jr. led the Cougars in scoring with 18 points, while adding a team-high eight rebounds and two steals. Charlie Gehler and Michael Saba also finished in double-digits with 11 points apiece. Jordan Hansen contributed six rebounds, five assists, and a block in the win. Gehler and Gayles Jr. had three triples each, while five other Cougars scored from beyond the arc.

How it Happened: Returning from a minor ankle injury, Maui Sze wasted no time getting back to work, knocking down a triple to start the game, sparking an 8-0 run. Azusa Pacific quickly surged to a 13-4 lead just five minutes in, with three of their points coming from beyond the arc.

Later in the half, with 5:59 to go, Sze scored a jumper and Gayles Jr. had a fast-break layup to extend the team's lead to ten. But while the Warriors were able to bring it within three twice, the Cougars never failed to surrender their lead and entered halftime with a 31-27 advantage.

Azusa Pacific got right to work, scoring the first two buckets of the final half, but was met by two back-to-back buckets from the Warriors as well. Following the exchange, the Cougars embarked on an 8-2 scoring run to take a 43-34 lead before eventually stretching it to as much as 13 thanks to a triple from Trevan Martin.

From there, it was smooth sailing as the Cougars led by double-digits, including as much as a 16-point lead, for the last ten minutes of the game. Four free throws between Hansen and Gehler down the stretch sealed the 74-57 victory.

By the Numbers: After hitting a season-high 17 three-pointers in their last game against Jessup, the Cougars drained 11 triples in this contest, while the Warriors made just three, shooting 1-for-11 from beyond the arc in the second half. Last time, Jessup was just 8-for-27 from beyond the arc.

In the second half, Azusa Pacific shot 15-for-27 (55.6%) from the field, while holding Jessup to 10-for-26 shooting. The Cougars' bench continued to shine, outscoring Jessup's reserves 29-9, showcasing the depth of this team despite still missing a key starter from last season.

Up Next: Azusa Pacific (11-9 overall, 6-6 in PacWest) faces a tough opponent in nationally-ranked Point Loma, for the teams' first meeting of the season. The last time these two teams faced off was in the PacWest title game where Azusa Pacific made history with their 78-66 win over Point Loma, marking the first time a No. 6 seed had defeated the top-seed in Conference history. The rematch is set for 7:30pm in Golden Gym on Wednesday, Jan. 29th.