FRESNO, Calif. — History was made at the Special Events Center on Tuesday night as Azusa Pacific extended its winning streak to seven games with a dominant 88-65 road victory over Fresno Pacific, headlined by a legendary performance from junior guard Elyse Mitchell.

Mitchell delivered the most prolific scoring effort of the Cougars' NCAA era, exploding for 40 points to lead Azusa Pacific (11-4, 7-1 PacWest). The milestone performance broke the previous NCAA-era record of 39 points, held by Kelly Heimburger (set on Jan. 20, 2025). Mitchell's night marks just the fourth 40-point game in program history, a feat she achieved through clinical efficiency, shooting 14-of-23 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line.

While Mitchell grabbed the headlines, Audrey Sayoc provided the backbone for the Cougars' offensive onslaught. Sayoc was nearly perfect from the floor, contributing 21 points on a sharp 9-of-14 shooting performance. Her ability to stretch the defense was on full display as she knocked down 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, consistently punishing the Sunbirds whenever they over-helped on Mitchell.

Box Score Highlights

Azusa Pacific:  Elyse Mitchell – 4Points, 3 Steals, and 6 Rebounds 

Fresno Pacific: Angela Whitfield – 16 Points, 9 Rebounds, and 1 Assists

Key Stats & Notes

• Mitchell's Hot Start: Mitchell set the tone early, scoring 13 points in the opening frame to help the Cougars jump out to a 26-13 lead.

• Paint Dominance: Azusa Pacific outmuscled the Sunbirds inside, finishing with a 32-26 advantage in points in the paint and out-rebounding FPU 39-29.

• Charity Stripe Success: The Cougars were elite from the free-throw line, connecting on 20-of-23 attempts (87%) to keep Fresno Pacific at arm's length.

• Wire-to-Wire: APU led for over 39 minutes of the contest, with their largest lead ballooning to 30 points in the final minutes.

Rachel Roderick anchored the interior with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Keisharna Lucas also hauled down seven boards to help secure the glass. Fresno Pacific (5-8, 2-6 PacWest) struggled to find an answer for the Cougars' dual-threat backcourt, as Mitchell and Sayoc combined for 61 of the team's 88 points.

With the victory, Azusa Pacific remains the hottest team in the PacWest. The Cougars will look to make it eight in a row when they travel to Point Loma this Saturday.