AZUSA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific welcomed Concordia Irvine to the Felix Event Center on Thursday night, and after three quarters of frustration, the Cougars delivered their 5th straight win, storming back for a 62–54 victory.

The opening quarter saw both teams settle in defensively, with neither side able to create much separation early on. APU got an early spark from its defense, with Keisharna Lucas and Rome Falcocchia converting steals into quick offense, including Lucas turning her own steal into a fastbreak layup to help the Cougars build a small cushion. Concordia Irvine responded late in the quarter with a three, but APU still carried a 15-10 edge into the second.

The second quarter proved difficult for APU, as CUI controlled the tempo and capitalized on extended possessions. The Golden Eagles used a steady stretch of scoring to flip the game, then closed the half with another push to take a 32–27 lead at the break. The Cougars were forced to chase, and every answer seemed to be met immediately on the other end.

CUI continued to apply pressure in the third quarter, extending their lead and forcing the Cougars to play from behind. The Golden Eagles struck with timely scoring, and when the lead swelled late in the period, it felt like APU was running out of time. By the end of the third quarter, the Cougars trailed 52-39, staring at a steep climb heading into the final 10 minutes.

Down 13, Azusa Pacific erupted on a dominant 23-2 run, flipping the game on its head. The swing started with Lucas attacking the rim. She opened the quarter with a layup, then came right back with another finish in the paint less than a minute later, forcing Concordia to burn a timeout as the lead started to shrink.

From there, it became a possession-by-possession grind that APU completely owned. Lucas kept the pressure on by knocking down two free throws, and Rachel Roderick followed with a free throw of her own as the Cougars continued to chip away. Concordia managed just one basket in the entire quarter, but APU had already taken control with its defense and rebounding, closing off second chances and turning stops into points.

The moment the comeback officially turned into a takeover came with 2:51 left, when Lauren Jones buried a three-pointer to tie the game at 54-54, with Lucas finding her for the assist. On the very next stretch, APU slammed the door: Roderick finished a layup to put the Cougars in front, Elyse Mitchell added a clutch layup to extend the lead, and APU sealed it at the free throw line down the stretch to complete the comeback and secure the 62–54 win.

Inside the Box Score:

• Lucas powered the comeback with 16 points, adding 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals, and 2 assists
• Jones finished with 10 points and 4 assists, including the game-tying three that shifted everything
• Roderick delivered a massive effort on the glass with 13 rebounds and added 9 points
• Mitchell chipped in 8 points and came up with key finishes late
• Azusa Pacific won the rebounding battle 40–31 and held Concordia to 2 points in the fourth quarter

Up Next: The Cougars (16-5, 12-2 PacWest) will look to carry the momentum forward as they travel north for their next 2 PacWest games. The first match up on their road trip will be at Jessup on Saturday, Feb. 7. Tip off in Rocklin is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.