ROCKLIN, Calif. – In a near mirror-image of Thursday's comeback against Concordia, Azusa Pacific nearly blew a 13-point fourth-quarter lead of their own, holding on for a 64-63 victory at Jessup Saturday afternoon.

How It Happened:  The Cougars ran the offense through the post early and often during a back-and-forth first quarter, with Rachel Roderick scoring 10 points in the opening 10 minutes, during which neither side led by more than three points.  Azusa Pacific held a 17-16 edge going to the second.  The Cougars got a little bit of breathing room in the second quarter, at one point scoring four consecutive baskets as a direct result of Jessup turnovers, which stretched the lead to 27-18.  The Warriors would rally to within six at intermission.

The third quarter belonged to Calista Arzaga.  Making only her second start of the season, the senior transfer made six out of seven shots from the field in the quarter, three of them from beyond the arc, and scored 18 of the Cougars' 23 points in the period, giving them a seemingly safe 54-41 advantage going to the final ten minutes.  And the Cougars still enjoyed an 11-point edge with three minutes to play.  But the Warriors refused to go quietly, closing the game on a 12-2 run and had an inbounds play with two seconds remaining to try and win, but the shot attempt, like the rally, came up just short.

By the Numbers:  Arzaga finished with a season-high 22 points on 8-10 shooting.  Roderick finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds.  Vanessa Parilla grabbed 7 rebounds off the bench.  In a game where every point ended up mattering, the Cougars converted 10 out of 12 free throws, compared to Jessup's 12-17.  Azusa Pacific remains perfect in six all-time matchups against the Warriors, though this was by far the closest of those six.  With the win, the Cougars remain one game up in the loss column above Point Loma, Vanguard, and Westmont in the PacWest standings with five games remaining.

Up Next:  Azusa Pacific (17-5, 13-2 PacWest) will stay in northern California over the weekend for a visit to Dominican on Monday evening.  Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.