LOS ANGELES, Calif. – It was a night to remember for former player turned Head Coach B.J. Porter as he logged his first win at the helm of Cougar basketball with a huge road victory over Cal State Los Angeles.

After a chaotic opening weekend that ended in a narrow overtime loss to Cal Poly Pomona, APU turned its sights to the Golden Eagles, who entered the matchup as the only school other than Cal State Dominguez Hills to receive a first-place vote in the CCAA Preseason Poll.
 
Shad Thomas led the brick and black with 17 points along with 11 rebounds, while fellow big man Kaleb Taylor had 11 points and six rebounds in the contest. Shant Chenorhavorian stuffed the stat sheet, scoring 11 points to go along with eight rebounds and six assists.
 
It kicked off the game going on a 9-2 run, highlighted by Thomas' breakaway slam, to take an early lead with 10:45 left in the first half. The Golden Eagles kept the fight going, cutting the deficit to three by the end of the period, and entered halftime down 30-27.

 In the second half, APU nearly doubled its shooting production from the opening 20 minutes, converting at a 42.4% clip. That surge of offense proved to be much-needed as Porter's squad would need all the firepower they could muster to respond to Cal State LA's 35 points in the second half.

EJ Bryson traded blows with the Golden Eagles early in the latter half, knocking down two shots as the CSULA remained within striking distance. Parker Christensen and Chenorhavorian later would fend off another push by the home squad with a pair of long-range threes as APU entered four minutes of play deadlocked at 60 apiece.

After a breakout opening night last Saturday, Chenorhavorian once again answered the call for the Cougars late in the game with a huge layup and an assist to Thomas to give it a crucial five-point lead. San Gabriel Valley's new tandem would score the remaining four points as they picked up the 69-62 win to mark their first victory of the 2025-26 campaign.
 
Box Score Highlights
Azusa Pacific:  Shad Thomas – 17 Points, 11 Rebounds, 1 Block

Cal State LA: Khemanni Davis – 14 Points, 3 Rebounds, 1 Assist

Key Stats & Notes

• Azusa Pacific led the game for 90.1% of the contest.
• B.J. Porter becomes the first Head Coach since Bill Odell (1991-92) to win their first game with the program on the road (92-71 win at Pomona Pitzer).
• APU had a 55-37 advantage on the boards in the win.
• The Cougar defense forced 14 turnovers.
• APU had 18 fast break points to the Golden Eagles' four.