AZUSA, Calif. — Behind a dominant second-half performance and a clinical display of shooting, Azusa Pacific took down rival Biola 85-78 on Thursday night at the Felix Event Center. The victory marks the Cougars' fourth straight win and secures a crucial point in the annual Cornerstone Cup rivalry series.

Azusa Pacific (5-6, 3-3 PacWest) relied on a balanced offensive attack to overcome an early deficit, shooting a blistering 51.9% from the field and 42.1% from three-point range. DJ Sanders led the Cougars with a team-high 20 points and seven rebounds, while Caleb Oden provided the spark from deep, knocking down four triples on his way to 16 points.

"I'm really proud of the resilience our group showed tonight," said Azusa Pacific head coach BJ Porter. "In a rivalry game like this, you expect a battle. We didn't panic when we fell behind early; we stayed locked into our defensive assignments and shared the ball exceptionally well in the second half. Winning four in a row is great, but doing it against Biola in the Cornerstone Cup makes it special for our guys and the university."

Biola (6-6, 2-4 PacWest) was powered by a game-high 27 points from Tyus Parrish-Tillman, who kept the Eagles within striking distance by hitting five three-pointers. Despite his efforts, the Eagles could not keep pace with APU's depth; the Cougars' bench outscored Biola's reserves 18-4.

 The Eagles jumped out to an early 8-point lead in the first half, but the Cougars slowly chipped away to enter the locker room trailing by just one, 36-35. The momentum shifted entirely in the second half as APU erupted for 50 points, sparked by an 11-0 run that helped them establish a lead they would not relinquish.

Azusa Pacific's interior presence proved to be a deciding factor, as the Cougars outscored the Eagles 38-28 in the paint. Kaleb Taylor anchored the middle for APU, narrowly missing a double-double with nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

With their fourth straight victory, the Cougars continue their ascent in the PacWest standings as they prepare for the heart of the conference schedule.

Box Score Highlights
Azusa Pacific:  DJ Sanders – 20 Points, 7 Rebounds, and 3 Steals

Biola: Tyus Parrish-Tillman – 27 Points, 8 Rebounds, 2 Blocks

Key Stats & Notes

• APU led the game for 20 minutes and 38 seconds of the contest.
• Season-high 389 people in attendance.
• Dan Ploog and BJ Porter are the second coaching tandem in APU history to sweep Biola during their debut campaigns with the Cougars since Justin Leslie and TJ Hardeman back in 2008.

Up Next
The Cougars will look to keep the win streak alive with a home matchup against Jessup at 1:00 PM.