AZUSA, Calif – Azusa Pacific hosted Cal State Dominguez Hills Saturday afternoon in its last non-conference game before PacWest play. The Toros proved to be a tough opponent, however the Cougars offense was able to take the lead for the final time late in the game, winning 79-77.

The Cougars held their own in a hard fought matchup against the Toros, which came down to the final seconds. APU's offense was led by double digit point tallies from four separate players: Rome Falcocchia (17), Rachel Roderick (12), Audrey Sayoc (11), and Keisharna Lucas (11). Roderick added 11 rebounds to secure a double double, already her second of the season. 

The first half proved to be turbulent, with all 18 of the game's lead changes coming in the first two periods. Dominguez Hills started the game off strong, jumping ahead 5-0. Sayoc was green from behind the arc, hitting three 3-pointers to make up 9 out of the 18 first quarter points for the Cougars, as they were able to regain the lead 3 separate times. 

APU took a 3 point lead in the second quarter, and were able to strengthen their spot before halftime. After a back and forth first 3 minutes of the quarter, Elyse Mitchell hit two consecutive 3-pointers, followed by a layup and jumpshot from Nivia Glorioso for 10 unanswered points. The Cougars would take a 6 point lead into the half. 

Although Azusa Pacific did not fall behind again after the break, the Toros fought hard. In the third quarter, APU saw its lead get to as low as just 2 points, before Lucas and Vanessa Patrilla combined for 8 unanswered points. The fourth quarter was even closer, as the Toros clawed their way back to even with just 6:30 left in the game. From there, the Cougars battled to stay ahead, finding themselves tied another 3 times until 1:12 left when they were level with the Toros, at 77 apiece. With just 8 seconds remaining in the game, Falcocchia broke the deadlock with a jumpshot in the paint. The Toros were unable to respond, and Azusa Pacific won 79-77.

Inside the Box Score:

• The Cougar offense exploded, and combined for season high points (79), FGs made (32), 3 PT FGs made (9), and assists (22)
• Audrey Sayoc's 9 assists and 5 steals are season highs for Azusa Pacific 
• The Cougars showed its depth with its bench out-scoring the Toros bench 21-12
• APU dominated in the paint scoring 32 points, compared to CSUDH's 20 points in the paint

Up Next: Azusa Pacific (3-3) look forward to their PacWest opener when they host the Menlo College Oaks on Tuesday, December 2nd at 5:30 p.m. APU hopes to continue their 3-0 record against the Oaks, and begin its final PacWest season strong.