AZUSA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific wasted no time taking control of its PacWest opener against Menlo, racing out to a huge early lead and never looking back in a 72-40 win over the Oaks on Tuesday night. Elyse Mitchell had a career-high 18 points, while Sadie Pierce scored in the double digits (11) for the first time as a true freshman. It was Head Coach Dan Ploog's first conference win.

The Cougars set the tone on both ends in the first quarter. Lauren Jones knocked down a pair of early threes, Rachel Roderick scored in the midrange, and Azusa Pacific's defense swallowed up Menlo's guards, forcing turnovers. By the end of the opening period, APU led 25-6 and had already piled up 9 offensive rebounds and 5 made threes.

The energy didn't dip when the starters rotated out. The Cougar bench came in firing, with Mitchell and Pierce catching fire from deep and stretching the lead past 20 before halftime. Azusa Pacific went into the break up 43-19, capped off by back-to-back threes from Mitchell and a defense that held Menlo to just 14 made field goals all night.

Out of the locker room, the Cougars stacked solid possession. Keisharna Lucas owned the glass and Roderick continued to draw fouls and protect the rim. Menlo made a few small pushes, but every time the Oaks strung together a couple of scores, the Cougars answered with a drive, a kick-out three, or a second-chance bucket to keep the margin comfortably in the 20-30 point range.

By the fourth quarter, APU's depth and pressure had completely worn Menlo down. The Cougars finished with a 42-26 edge on the boards, forced 25 turnovers, and turned those miscues into 23 points going the other way. 11 made threes and 35 bench points told the story of a night where every Cougar who checked in put their stamp on the game.

Inside the Box Score:

• Mitchell led all scorers with 18 points in just 17 minutes, shooting 6-for-9 from the field and 4-for-6 from three while adding 6 rebounds and 2 steals
• Pierce added 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, and dished out 2 assists
• Jones knocked down three triples of her own, finishing with 9 points and 2 rebounds
• Lucas nearly posted a double-double, recording 8 points and a team-high 9 rebounds, plus a steal and an assist
• Roderick chipped in 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks, going 5-for-6 at the free throw line
• Rome Falcocchia was perfect from the field (3-for-3), finishing with 6 points, 4 rebounds, a block, and 2 steals
• Point guard Audrey Sayoc ran the show with 7 assists, 5 points, 2 steals, and zero turnovers in 24 minutes
• APU shot 26-for-62 from the floor and 11-for-26 from three, while holding Menlo to 14-for-46 overall and 2-for-9 from deep

Up Next: The Cougars will travel to Concordia on Saturday, Dec. 6 for another conference clash. Tip off in Irvine is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.