AZUSA, Calif. — The Azusa Pacific Cougars (1-6, 0-3 PacWest) matched the Chaminade Silverswords (6-4, 4-0 PacWest) punch for punch in a thrilling contest Wednesday night, forcing overtime before eventually falling 84-78 at the Felix Event Center.

Despite coming up short, the night was defined by senior center Kaleb Taylor's phenomenal performance on the defensive end. Taylor recorded a career-high six blocks, putting his name in the APU record books as the most blocks by a Cougar since Selom Mawugbe's eight rejections against Cal State LA back on November 12, 2019. Taylor also added two steals and eight rebounds to complete the dominant defensive effort.

Offensively, the Cougars were spearheaded by forward Shad Thomas, who led the team with 16 points on an efficient 8-for-12 shooting. Guard EJ Bryson complemented the attack with 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists.

The Cougars needed every bit of their production to counter Chaminade's veteran backcourt. Silverswords duo of Kris and Kent King provided 34 points altogether, while Nathan Medina poured in 16 points and Nate Sasser III added 13.

The game was a tightrope walk throughout, featuring 11 lead changes and nine ties. After the teams traded blows late in the second half, the score was knotted at 74 at the end of regulation. In the overtime period, Chaminade's ability to get to the line and convert, finishing 17-for-26 from the stripe overall, finally gave them the necessary edge to pull away and hand APU their third consecutive PacWest loss.
 
Box Score Highlights
Azusa Pacific:  Shad Thomas – 16 Points, 8 Rebounds, 3 Blocks, 4 Steals

Chaminade: Kent King – 17 Points, 11 Rebounds, 2 Assists

Key Stats & Notes

• Menlo led the game for 29 minutes and 51 seconds of the contest.
• The Cougars had a 35-21 advantage over the Silverswords in the Bench Points category.
• The Chaminade defense forced 22 turnovers.
• The Cougars shot 7-for-33 (.212) from beyond the arc.

Up Next
The Cougars will look to be a trap game for a staggering #22 Point Loma this Saturday at the Felix Event Center.