AZUSA, Calif. — The men's basketball season officially came to a close on Saturday at the Felix Event Center, as Azusa Pacific fell 84-60 to Academy of Art in their final regular-season game. Prior to the game, the team honored its three seniors—Chris Gayles Jr., Maui Sze, and Trevan Martin—celebrating their accomplishments throughout their collegiate careers.

However, the Senior Day celebrations were spoiled by a strong 47-point second half from the Urban Knights, who finished the season third in the conference. Junior Kaleb Taylor led all Azusa Pacific scorers with a career-high 16 points and eight rebounds, showing promise for his final season next year.

How it Happened: The Cougars kicked the season finale off with a bang, scoring eight straight points and forcing the Urban Knights to call an early timeout. Out of the timeout, Academy of Art embarked on an 11-2 scoring run to take an 11-2 lead.

After Michael Saba scored a layup and knocked down his free throw to complete the three-point play, the Cougars regained their lead, 13-11. However, a triple from the Urban Knights sparked another 10-point scoring run to create some space from the Cougars.

From there, the Cougars played catch up for the rest of the half. A triple from Charlie Gehler late in the half brought the game within a point, yet, the Urban Knights continued to press on by outscoring the Cougars 9-1 in the closing minutes to head to halftime 37-27.

The second half was a struggle for the Cougars who found themselves trailing by double-digits for the remainder of the game. After halftime, Academy of Art remained efficient shooting 20-for-33 (60.6%) while scoring 47 points in the second half alone. 

Inside the Box Score: The Cougars were pressured for most of the game, committing 15 turnovers which turned into 28 points for the Urban Knights. Academy of Art also won the rebounding battle 36-28. Azusa Pacific, which averages 9+ three pointers a game, was held to 6-for-24 from beyond the arc. Academy of Art also struggled, shooting just 8-for-24 from the three.


Senior Recognition: Prior to tip-off, Azusa Pacific celebrated its three seniors, Chris Gayles Jr., Maui Sze, and Trevan Martin, for their successes over their collegiate careers.

Trevan Martin joined the program in 2021, contributing to 50 wins over his four years with the Cougars. Over the last three seasons, he played in 88 games and reached three NCAA tournaments, tied for the most of any player in the West Region. Martin finished his career with 332 points, 159 rebounds, 92 assists, and 61 steals, while transitioning into a starting role during the final stretch of the season.

Known for his standout defense, Chris Gayles Jr. transferred to Azusa Pacific this season after a successful career at Cal Poly Pomona. In his 27 starts, Gayles Jr. scored in double digits in eight games, including a season-high 21 points in a victory over Hawaii Pacific. He wrapped up the season with 201 points, 76 rebounds, 32 assists, and 24 steals.

The final senior honored was starting point guard Maui Sze, who also played his first and last season with the Cougars after transferring from Seattle Pacific. Starting in 26 games, he scored in double digits 12 times, highlighted by a 24-point performance in a one-point win over Cal State San Marcos in November. He finished his career with 265 points, 87 rebounds, and 121 assists during his final season.

Season Recap: Entering the season, the team added 11 new players while returning just five from last year's PacWest Tournament Championship squad. Upon dealing with several injuries, including one that sidelined key starter Ethan Speaker, the team, under head coach Peter Bond, finished the 2024-2025 season with a 12-16 overall record, including a 7-13 mark in PacWest play. Their best stretch included a five-game winning streak from December into the new year, during which they kicked off conference play with three consecutive victories. However, the team faced tough competition from newly added schools to the conference and ultimately finished tenth in the PacWest standings.

Looking Ahead: Next year's squad will likely return 13 of its 16-man roster, including starters Kaleb Taylor and Jordan Hansen. Hansen led the team in scoring this season with 277 points and also in three-point shooting, making 57 triples in his first season with the Cougars. Taylor and Michael Saba will continue to share post-player duties, alongside recent transfer Logan Stempniak. Charlie Gehler, Deen Abdur-Rahmann, and Shant Chenorhavorian will also return, likely competing for starting roles after contributing significantly off the bench this season.