AZUSA, Calif. — For the first 25 minutes on Saturday, the script followed the rankings. No. 22 Point Loma was efficient, disciplined, and seemingly untouchable, building a 19-point lead that had the Felix Event Center crowd silent, much like the 25th night of December.

Then, EJ Bryson decided the script needed a rewrite.

Bryson rose to the occasion and buried a fading jumper to the dismay of the Point Loma faithful, capping a miraculous 74-73 comeback victory for Azusa Pacific (2-6, 1-3 PacWest). The shot triggered a court storming and handed the Sea Lions (8-3, 3-2) a loss they'll be processing all the way back to San Diego.

"We just kept telling each other to chip away," said head coach BJ Porter amidst the post-game celebration. "When you're down 19 to a team like that, you don't look at the scoreboard. You look at the next possession. I told them in the huddle, 'Believe in the work we've put in,' and EJ went out there and showed exactly what that belief looks like."

The mountain seemed too high to climb when Point Loma's Andrew Hommes hit a layup to make it 49-30 with 18:19 left in regulation. But the Cougars didn't blink. APU ignited a stifling defensive press that rattled the veteran Sea Lions, forcing a series of uncharacteristic turnovers. Shad Thomas provided the interior grit, finishing with 11 points and anchor-level rebounding. At the same time, Kaleb Taylor remained consistent with 5-of-7 from the floor to keep the offense efficient while racking up four blocks in the paint. The Cougars outscored Point Loma 45-28 in the second half, shooting a blistering 61% from the field in the final frame. 

Box Score Highlights
Azusa Pacific:  EJ Bryson – 17 Points, 2 Assists, 8-for-10 FG

Point Loma: Andrew Nagy – 24 Points, 4 Rebounds, 2 Steals

Key Stats & Notes

• PLNU led the game for 36 minutes and 15 seconds of the contest.
• The Cougars had a 35-27 advantage over the Sea Lions in the Bench Points category.
• Tonight marks BJ Porter's first conference win and first win over a ranked opponent.
• The Cougars shot nearly 20% better from the field in the second half.