IRVINE, Calif. — The Azusa Pacific Cougars (1-5, 0-2 PacWest) couldn't quite complete a furious second-half rally, dropping a tight conference battle, 80-76, to the Concordia University Irvine Golden Eagles (5-3, 2-0 PacWest) on Saturday night at the CU Arena.
APU found themselves in an eight-point hole at the half, trailing CUI 37-29 after struggling to find consistency from deep in the opening 20 minutes. But the Cougars came out firing after the break, shooting a blistering 60% (18-for-30) from the field in the second half to cut into the deficit.

Guiding the APU comeback was guard EJ Bryson, who had a phenomenal night with a game-high 22 points, going a hyper-efficient 7-for-10 from the field and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. Bryson also led the Cougars in rebounding and assists, pulling down eight boards and dishing out five assists. Bryson received solid support from center Kaleb Taylor, who did not miss a shot, hitting all six of his field goal attempts to finish with 12 points.

However, the Golden Eagles' balanced attack, particularly from their starting backcourt, proved too much to overcome. CUI's Marcellus Edwards matched Bryson with 22 points, adding six rebounds and five steals, while MaCarhy Morris poured in 20 points, including three key three-pointers. The duo's scoring punch helped CUI withstand APU's second-half onslaught and secure the crucial four-point victory.

Despite the loss, the Cougars showed significant offensive upside, finishing the night shooting 55.6% overall from the floor. But CUI maintained a slight advantage on the glass (34-28) and converted just enough timely shots to keep APU at bay as the clock wound down.