SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Azusa Pacific picked up its first win of the season, knocking off nationally-ranked No. 14 Cal Poly Pomona 54-53 on Saturday morning. The Cougars trailed by as many as 13 in the first half and were still down 8 midway through the fourth quarter before a late barrage of three-pointers and a closing stretch from Lauren Jones flipped the game on its head.

Cal Poly Pomona controlled the opening 20 minutes, holding Azusa Pacific to just 16 first-half points and taking a 27-16 lead into the break. The Cougars' offense found rhythm after halftime, with the bench sparking a third-quarter surge that lowered the deficit to single digits. Vanessa Parilla ignited the comeback with a three and a fast break layup in quick succession, while Audrey Sayoc drilled a deep three and Calista Arzaga converted a three-point play as APU outscored the Broncos 20-14 in the quarter to pull within 41-36 heading to the fourth.

Pomona briefly steadied itself and pushed the margin back to 46-38 with just over five minutes remaining, but Azusa Pacific refused to go away. Parilla sunk another three to make it 46-41, and after the Broncos nudged the lead back to six, Sayoc answered with a deep three and then scored a layup to cut it to 49-46. Parilla's fourth three of the day leveled the score at 49-49 with just over two minutes to play, setting up a frantic finish between the Cougars and the Broncos.

Cal Poly Pomona went back in front 51-49 on a driving layup, but that would be their final field goal. With under a minute left, Jones attacked the paint for a game-tying layup, then, after an APU timeout, stepped into a three to give the Cougars their first lead since early in the first quarter at 54-51 with 31 seconds remaining. Pomona had multiple chances to answer, extending the game with offensive rebounds and trips to the foul line, but could only inch as close as one. A Bronco split a pair of free throws twice in the final eight seconds, and Sayoc secured the last rebound as time expired, sealing the Cougars' upset of the nationally-ranked Broncos.

Inside the Box Score

• Azusa Pacific improved to 1-1 on the season while Cal Poly Pomona dropped to 1-1.
• The Cougars held the Broncos to 1-for-13 shooting from beyond the arc.
• APU forced 20 Pomona turnovers and turned them into 15 points.
• Parilla came off the bench to score a team-high 13 points in 19 minutes, knocking down three threes and going 2-for-3 at the line.
• Sayoc added 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals while logging 39 minutes in the backcourt.
• Jones finished with 8 points, including the Cougars' final five of the game, and added a rebound and a steal.
• Rachel Roderick anchored the paint with 6 points, a game-high 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks before fouling out.
• Arzaga chipped in 5 points and 2 rebounds off the bench, while Nivia Glorioso and Rome Falcocchia each added 4 points in reserve roles.

Up Next: Azusa Pacific (1-1) returns to the Felix Event Center next week to continue its non-conference slate with a home opener against Cal State LA on Tuesday. Tip off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.