AZUSA, Calif. – The Cougars kept pace at the top of the conference Wednesday evening, pulling away in the odd-numbered quarters to take down Concordia 91-63 inside the Felix Event Center.  Lauren Jones led four Cougars in double figures with a game-high 19 points.

How It Happened:  The Eagles kept things close for the first five minutes, even tying the game at 9-9 though they never took the lead.  Shortly after the midway point of the quarter, Sydney Hani struck on a putback that kicked off an 18-2 run.  The Cougars dominated inside, scoring 16 of their 29 first-quarter points in the paint and building a 29-13 lead by quarter's end.

Having made 13 shots from the field in the first quarter, the Cougars' hands stayed hot in the second, making another 10 in the second and continuing to shoot well over 50% from the field.  But the Golden Eagles were able to keep pace, shooting 50% from the field themselves in the second period while also earning several trips to the free-throw line to narrowly win the second quarter, though the Cougars still put up 50 points in the first half.

Three minutes into the third quarter, Concordia was still hanging out within shouting distance, down by 12.  That's when Jones kicked off the Cougars' finishing kick, corralling a long rebound, racing down to the other end of the floor and knocking down a three.  That started a 17-5 run that spanned the next five minutes, resulting in a 69-45 advantage that put the game out of reach.  Even when the first shots were not falling, the Cougars were getting extra chances, ringing up 11 second-chance points in the third quarter alone.  Rachel Roderick made a strong impression off the bench in that span, collecting 8 points and 6 rebounds in just 11 minutes on the court.  Azusa Pacific continued their dominance into the fourth, scoring the first seven points of the quarter and eventually pulling ahead by as many as 30 points with about four minutes left before completely emptying the bench.

By the Numbers:  Jones ended the game with 19 points and 6 rebounds.  Joining her in double figures were Kelly Heimburger, who had 15 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 blocks, and 4 steals; Amayah Kirkman, who added 15 points and 7 rebounds, and Hani, who chipped in 10 points and 8 rebounds off the bench.  In all, seven different Cougars had at least 5 rebounds in the contest, collecting 21 offensive rebounds as a team and 51 in total.  Azusa Pacific set season highs in shooting percentage (51.9%), made field goals (40) and assists (26).  The Cougars have won 10 in a row over Concordia dating back to 2021, and lead the all-time series with the Golden Eagles 57-22.

Up Next:  Azusa Pacific (19-3, 13-2 PacWest) heads south for its final road game of the season on Saturday evening.  The Cougars will look to avenge their lone home loss of the season when they make their first visit to Vanguard since 2012.  Game time against the Lions is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.