SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Coming into this meeting, both teams knew what was on the line. Azusa Pacific was up against a top-15 team in the nation, one also out for vengeance after falling to the Cougars in the 2024 PacWest Tournament Championship game.
Flash-back last spring: sixth-seeded Azusa Pacific, amidst its magical postseason run, prevented top-seeded Point Loma from repeating as PacWest Tournament champions and eventually ended their season, as they were also unable to earn an NCAA West Regional at-large bid.
But, unlike last March, the magic ran out and the Cougars were unable to contain the Sea Lions, eventually suffering a 76-54 loss to the 13th-ranked team in the nation. Azusa Pacific took the court with a completely new starting five from last year, while Point Loma, under a brand new head coach, managed to continue its hot nine-game winning streak.
Kaleb Taylor was the lone Cougar to reach double-digit scoring, finishing with a career-high 14 points and nine rebounds in just 22 minutes of play.
How it Happened: Azusa Pacific held a small lead within the first five minutes, but the Sea Lions quickly answered with an 11-0 run, taking control and never looking back.
It didn't take long for the Sea Lions to establish a double-digit lead, scoring seven triples in the first half alone. With less than three minutes left in the first half, Azusa Pacific managed to bring the game within 11 points, before Point Loma scored six straight points to nearly end the first half of play. Showing a little glimmer of hope for any sort of comeback,
Maui Sze raced down the court for a last-second layup, yet the Cougars still trailed 39-24 at the half.
While both teams exchanged baskets to start the second half, but the Sea Lions sunk three straight triples to extend their lead to 24 points.
Across the night, the Cougars had no answer for Tyce Paulsen, who scored eight of the team's 14 three-pointers, including a stretch where he scored 14 straight points for the Sea Lions over a three-minute span.
After leading by as much as 34 points with 7:22 left in the half, Azusa Pacific showed signs of life, embarking on a 12-2 scoring run over the next several minutes. Despite finishing the game on a 6-0 run of their own, the Sea Lions held on to win by 22.
By the Numbers: After hitting 11 triples in the previous game, the Cougars went cold from beyond the arc shooting a mere 2-for-19 from three. Meanwhile, the Sea Lions found success from the three-point line, shooting 14-for-29 (48.3%), which ties their season-best. Statistically, the teams were relatively even in other areas—Azusa Pacific grabbed 38 rebounds and committed 13 turnovers, while the Sea Lions pulled down 37 boards and had 14 turnovers. But it was shooting accuracy that proved to be the difference. The Cougars shot just 20-for-62 (32.3%), while the Sea Lions finished 28-for-57 (49%).
Up Next: Taking part in an action-packed weekend across several sports in APU Athletics, the Cougars will travel to La Mirada for the first Cornerstone Cup series of the basketball season. Biola will host Azusa Pacific on Saturday with tip-off set for 7:30pm.
