AZUSA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific welcomed Dominican to the Felix Event Center Saturday afternoon in a key PacWest matchup, edging the Penguins 82-80 after a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final minutes.

The Cougars weathered an early deficit and used a strong second-half surge to secure the narrow victory. APU was led offensively by Keisharna Lucas, who poured in a game-high 23 points, including five shots from beyond the arc. Audrey Sayoc, Elyse Mitchell, and Lauren Jones added 16 points apiece to give the Cougars four players in double figures.

Dominican controlled much of the first half, jumping out to a 20-14 lead after the opening quarter and continuing to pressure APU with strong interior play. The second quarter saw an even match up, with each team contributing 16 points in the period, but the Penguins carried a six-point advantage into halftime.

The turning point came out of the break. Azusa Pacific erupted for 27 points in the third quarter, completely shifting the flow of the game. Mitchell put up 8 points in the period, while the Cougars tightened up defensively and controlled the glass. The surge erased the halftime deficit and APU reclaimed a slim 2-point lead (57-55) heading into the final period.

The fourth quarter delivered nonstop excitement, with both teams trading baskets and neither able to pull away. APU hit back-to-back-to-back threes from Lucas, Mitchell, and Jones to discourage the Penguins and stretch the lead to 7 (68-61), and then back-to-back jumpers from Mitchell kept the Cougars ahead by 9. The Penguins went on a 6 point run in the last minute of play, but the lead was too much to overcome.

Inside the Box Score:

• Keisharna Lucas led all scorers with 23 points on five made three-pointers
• Azusa Pacific knocked down 11 shots from beyond the arc
• The Cougars won the rebounding battle, 40-34
• APU's bench contributed 19 points
• Both teams were tied three times and traded the lead seven times